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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Maya Yang

George Santos expelled: New York governor to call special election to fill seat – as it happened

George Santos United States Bob Menendez Matt Gaetz New York Republican Ethics

Summary

It is 4pm in Washington DC. Here is a wrap-up of the day’s key events:

  • New York’s Republican representative George Santos was expelled from the House in a 311-114 vote. The vote to expel Santos, the second since his election last year, required a two-thirds majority of those present. Santos therefore becomes only the sixth member ever expelled from the US House. The first three fought for the Confederacy in the civil war. The other two were expelled after being convicted of crimes.

  • Two Democrats voted against expelling George Santos. Georgia’s representative Nikema Williams and Robert C. Scott voted nays, while Democratic representatives Jonathan Jackson of Illinois and Al Green of Texas voted present.

  • Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, has released the following statement on George Santos’s expulsion: “Long Island and Queens deserve better.”

  • California’s Democratic representative Adam Schiff, who voted yes on George Santos’s expulsion, released a statement in which he called the expulsion “justified.” “George Santos misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign money, stole donor identities to fund his extravagant lifestyle, and has been indicted for fraud and financial crimes. I voted yes,” Schiff said.

  • New York governor Kathy Hochul said that she is “prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filing the vacancy in New York’s 3rd district.” In a post on X following George Santos’s expulsion, Hochul added:“The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”

  • Hochul also said that she will announce the date for a special election in New York’s third district within the next days.” In a tweet on Thursday, Hochul added: “I take this responsibility seriously, and am committed to ensuring there will be a Member of Congress who can serve Nassau and Queens Counties.”

  • The special election is required to take place between 70 and 80 days later, which means an election day would occur some time next February or March. According to New York’s election law, local party leaders will be required to choose their candidates for the special election. The winner of the election will go on to complete the remainder of Santos’s term.

  • Following Santos’s expulsion, House Democratic super PAC announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-03 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports. Its president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue.”

  • Anna Kaplan, a former Democratic New York state senator, has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat. In a post on X, Kaplan wrote: “George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional district. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”

Flowers have been laid – and picked up – from the office of George Santos following his expulsion from the House, according to photos surfacing on social media.

Meanwhile, other pictures posted online showed people taking selfies outside of Santos’s office.

New York’s Democratic representative Ritchie Torres said on Friday that George Santos’s “legacy lives on through a bill I named after him: the SANTOS Act.”

Torres went on to say that the bill “holds Congressional candidates accountable for lying to the public.”

“STOP ANOTHER NON-TRUTHFUL OFFICE SEEKER,” he added.

Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, has released the following statement on George Santos’s expulsion:

“Long Island and Queens deserve better.”

The locks have been changed on expelled George Santos’s office on Capitol Hill following Friday’s House vote that pushed him out of his seat.

New York’s governor Kathy Hochul said that she will announce the date for a special election in New York’s third district within the next days."

In a tweet on Thursday, Hochul added:

“I take this responsibility seriously, and am committed to ensuring there will be a Member of Congress who can serve Nassau and Queens Counties.”

Who might replace George Santos?

With a special election due to be called within days – and election day looming early in 2024, let’s take a look at some of the likely candidates:

Democrats

Tom Suozzi

Suozzi represented New York’s third district before Santos did – and he wants his job back. The Democratic former Congressman announced in October that he wants to make a comeback. In his statement at the time, he said he wanted to bring “sanity and reason” back to Washington.

Anna Kaplan

The former Democratic New York state senator has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat.

Kaplan did not waste time throwing her hat in the ring. In a post on X, she wrote on Friday:

George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional District. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”

Republicans

According to the New York Times, former NYPD detective Mike Sapraicone is a top candidate.

Jack Martins

The newly elected state senator is also a potential Republican candidate, Newsweek reported. It could help that he has called Santos a fraud and called for his resignation.

Mazi Pilip

Philp has not said she is running but is under consideration, according to the NYT. She moved from Ethiopia to Israel as a refugee, has served in the Israeli Defense Forces. She is currently a Nassau county legislator.

Updated

Santos’s expulsion from the House is the latest chapter in what has been a spectacular fall from grace for the New York congressman.

The first-term lawmaker was initially celebrated as an up-and-coming star after he flipped his district from Democrats in 2022 and helped Republicans win control of the House.

But he has become notorious for a series of claims that have turned out to be untrue. Here is a look back at some of those claims:

Updated

The House Democratic super PAC has announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-O3 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports.

House majority PAC president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue”.

Santos’s victory in 2022 had flipped the district for the Republicans – now Democrats look eager to make that a blip.

Updated

George Santos expulsion: What happens next?

With George Santos expelled from the House, New York governor Kathy Hochul will have to call a special election within the next 10 days, according to New York law.

In a post shortly after his expulsion, Hochul said that she is prepared to “undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd district.”

She went on to add, “The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”

The special election is required to take place between 70 and 80 days later, which means an election day would occur some time next February or March.

According to New York’s election law, local party leaders will be required to choose their candidates for the special election. The winner of the election will go on to complete the remainder of Santos’s term.

Last month, Santos said that will not be running for re-election. In a fiery press conference on Thursday, he told reporters, “The future is endless… I’m going to do whatever I want. Whatever comes my way, I have the desire to stay very much involved in public policy and advocacy for specific issues.”

Following Santos’s expulsion, House Democratic super PAC announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-03 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports.

Its president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue.”

Meanwhile, Anna Kaplan, a former Democratic New York state senator, has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat.

In a post on X, Kaplan wrote:

“George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional District. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”

Two Democrats voted against expelling George Santos.

Georgia’s representative Nikema Williams and Robert C. Scott voted nays, while Democratic representatives Jonathan Jackson of Illinois and Al Green of Texas voted present.

New York governor: 'I am prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility' of filling New York's 3rd district vacancy

New York governor Kathy Hochul said that she is “prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filing the vacancy in New York’s 3rd district.”

In a post on X following George Santos’s expulsion, Hochul added:

“The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”

Hochul will need to call for a special election within 10 days. The election has to take place between 70 and 80 days later – meaning election day would be in February or March.

The Hill has a piece explaining how it works.

Updated

Ohio’s Republican representative and House ethics committee member David Joyce said that his fellow Ohio Republican colleague Max Miller’s last-minute letter about how George Santos personally ripped him and his mother off convinced many Republicans to vote for Santos’s expulsion.

Speaking to CNN following Santos’s expulsion, Joyce said:

“One of the members came forward yesterday at the end of the talk and then today came forward and put out the email for those who may not have understood where he was coming from and explained that no only he but his mother were ripped off by this campaign… If that’s not enough to convince people that maybe you shouldn’t be here, well then I don’t know what it’s going to take.”

In his letter, which was obtained by NBC, Miller said that he learned earlier this year that Santos’s campaign had “had charged my personal credit card — and the personal card of my Mother — for contribution amounts that exceeded FEC limits. Neither my ,other nor I approved these charges or were aware of them.”

California’s Democratic representative Adam Schiff, who voted yes on George Santos’s expulsion, released a statement in which he called the expulsion “justified.”

He said:

“Expelling an elected representative is a serious matter. But here, it was justified: George Santos misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign money, stole donor identities to fund his extravagant lifestyle, and has been indicted for fraud and financial crimes. I voted yes.”

Here is another clip of George Santos exiting the US Capitol following his expulsion from the House.

Santos did not stop for comments. Instead, he entered his car and drove away immediately.

George Santos has departed the US Capitol following his expulsion from the House.

Here is the moment House speaker Mike Johnson announced the final vote on the expulsion of George Santos:

George Santos expelled from House after 311-114 vote

With the House’s final vote being at 311 yays and 114 nays, George Santos has been expelled from the House.

House speaker Mike Johnson said the House clerk will notify New York governor Kathy Hochul on the House’s decision.

The vote to expel Santos, the second since his election last year, required a two-thirds majority of those present.

Santos therefore becomes only the sixth member ever expelled from the US House. The first three fought for the Confederacy in the civil war. The other two were expelled after being convicted of crimes.

Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal fraud charges but has not been tried. A previous expulsion attempt, mounted by members of his own party, failed in part because senior Democrats voted no, citing the dangers of expelling members without convictions secured.

Updated

The House has passed the 2/3rds majority to expel George Santos.

The current vote is 310 yays and 115 nays.

Voting remains ongoing.

House begins vote on George Santos expulsion

The House has started its vote on whether to expel George Santos from the chamber.

We will bring you the latest updates.

George Santos ahead of House vote: 'Nobody can question my ethics'

Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, George Santos said: “All of the work I’ve done in this body has been above board.”

He added:

“Nobody can question my ethics and conduct in Congress, unlike some of my colleagues who are on drunken tirades going after their former staff but I’m the one being pinned for all of this nonsense.”

Updated

Georgia’s Republican representative Mike Collins said on Thursday that he will “not vote to alter precedent and circumvent the will of the People.”

He went on to add:

“The voters of NY-03 have the sole right to choose who represents them in Congress, just like the voters of GA-10.

Let me know when the House can get back to focusing on securing the border and drilling oil on American soil.”

In the days leading up to the House vote, George Santos has repeatedly claimed that efforts to expel him would set a precedent that would “haunt” House members where “mere allegations are sufficient enough to have members removed from office.”

Ahead of the House vote on George Santos’s expulsion, Florida’s Republican representative Maria Salazar told MSNBC:

“I know that the charges against him are despicable but who am I to say ‘out’? The constituents are the ones who are going to kick him out in November, or not.

Meanwhile, Utah’s Republican representative John Curtis told MSNBC “yes” in response to whether he will vote to expel Santos today.

Tennessee’s Democratic representative Steve Cohen has called George Santos a “shameless liar who is a disgrace to mankind.”

Cohen’s comments come as the House convenes to vote – for the third time – on Santos’s expulsion.

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the supreme court, has died at 93-years old, the court announced on Friday.

O’Connor was appointed to the court by then-president Ronald Reagan in 1981 and retired in 2006.

Updated

Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise opposed to expulsion vote, reports say

CNN’s Haley Talbot reports that House speaker Mike Johnson will not vote to expel George Santos today.

Louisiana’s Republican representative Steve Scalise said that he is also against the vote, according to Talbot.

Updated

New York’s Republican representative Marc Molinaro would not say whether he is confident that the House will have enough votes to expel George Santos, CNN’s Manu Raju reports.

According to Raju, Molinaro said that they are “closing in” and the vote will be “tight.”

Former George Santos staffer says ex-boss 'not a victim'

Speaking to CNN on Thursday, George Santos’s former communications director Naysa Woomer said Santos is “not a victim…this is an issue that was of his own making.”

Woomer, who resigned from Santos’s team in May after Santos was indicted on wire fraud and money laundering charges, added:

“If we’re looking to earn the trust back of the American people, let this serve as an example by expelling someone who is truly unfit to serve.”

Updated

During Thursday’s House debate on George Santos’s expulsion, Florida’s Republican representative Matt Gaetz came to Santos’s defense, saying:

“Whatever Mr. Santos did with Botox or OnlyFans is far less concerning to me than the indictment against senator Menendez who’s holding gold bars inscribed with Arabic on them from Egypt while he is still getting classified briefings.”

Gaetz referred to New Jersey’s Democratic senator Bob Menendez who was charged in October with conspiring to act as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt. Menendez has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The House vote on George Santos’s expulsion is expected to take place at 10:30am ET today.

George Santos to face House vote on resolution to expel him

The House is set to vote on the expulsion of George Santos, the disgraced New York Republican representative who has been indicted on charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

The House vote follows a report released by the House ethics committee earlier this month which detailed “pervasive fraud” and alleged Santos used campaign funds on various personal gains including Botox, OnlyFans and luxury brands.

In a fiery press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Santos denied all charges. He went on to claim that efforts to expel him would set a precedent which would “haunt [House members] in the future where mere allegations are sufficient to have members removed from office when duly elected by their people.”

“If I leave, they win. If I leave, the bullies take place. This is bullying,” he added.

During a House debate on his expulsion yesterday, Santos said that he would not resign, saying, “Take the vote. I am at peace.”

Friday’s vote is set to mark the House’s third vote on Santos’s expulsion.

Here are other developments in US politics:

  • Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on the wife of the judge in his $250m New York civil fraud case after an appellate court reinstated a gag order on him and his team.

  • California governor Gavin Newsom and Florida governor Ron DeSantis went head to head in a debate on Wednesday evening, clashing over crime, abortion and guns.

  • Oregon’s Democratic senator Ron Wyden said on Thursday that he will block a Senate vote on the new National Security Agency leader until the NSA releases information on its practice of purchasing and using data location collected on Americans, Politico reports.

Updated

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