Indicted Republican lawmaker George Santos expelled from U.S. House

SNIP
Indicted Republican George Santos' brief career in the U.S. House of Representatives came to an end on Friday, when fellow lawmakers voted to expel him over criminal corruption charges and accusations of misspending campaign money.

The House voted 311-114 to immediately remove the controversial freshman lawmaker, above the two-thirds majority required to oust one of its own.
ENDSNIP

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us...harges-faces-house-expulsion-vote-2023-12-01/

Kudos to the GOP voting to expel. I understand this might be setting a prescedent, as this idiot hasn't yet been convicted, but when your fully bipartisan "Ethics" committee puts out a report like that, I don't see how you can hold off.....

His trial doesn't start until September 2024, so you really don't want this hanging over your head all year.

Right decision?

 

Indeed the right decision.
No taxpayers pay check I assume.
Is he exited out today with security guards? lol
Menendez needs to also be booted.

 

Yes, I think so.

 

One of the Republicans who spoke yesterday made it short and sweet.
Santos lied when he said his mother was in the World Trade Center on 9-11
Santos lied when he said his relatives were either in the Holocaust or survived it.
Two reprehensible lies that played on donors.

 

Just to be clear there doesn't have to be a crime to justify removal from office................right?

 

I don't disagree, but Senator is always a tougher decision, IMHO.... But as this guy is up for reelection in 2024, the term is really not an issue... Would be a lot harder to expel a Senator 1 year into his/her term.

Also, Menendez hasn't received an Ethics reivew on these current allegations, FWIW.....

 

I agree that I also have hesitation about removing him before conviction. But with such a damning report it was the right thing to do.

 

The ethics committee determined there were crimes committed.

 

Funny how Santos had said he will be going through the ethic charges line by line and refute them.
He was repeatedly asked why he isn't doing that before the vote.
He said that "now isn't the time" lol

 

Reported that Santos made a "hasty exit" after being expelled.
Chubs on the run!

 

I think he meant conviction, but the answer is still yes...

 

He did indeed....before the gavel came down. A good day for integrity .

 

Santos told reporters on Tuesday that it was time for his colleagues to “put up or shut up.”

Yes, it was...

 

Just said that Santo's staff will stay on to do something (missed that part).
I'll check it out,

Found it.


'While Santos must now pack up his belongings, his congressional staff will continue working. According to House rules, the House clerk is responsible for supervising the staff and managing the office of any member who dies or resigns or is expelled until a successor is elected'

.33 mins ago

Rep. George Santos was expelled from the House - NBC News

NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com › politics › congress › georg...

 

exactly. This is historical.......but an essential act if any kind of integrity is to be maintained.

 

You know I get that he's not actually been convicted by a court of law but his conduct alone is atrocious and the length of charges against his is so related to his position that the House just took steps to stop the crimin' and hold him accountable. He can now deal with the criminal justice system without the protections of his "stolen" office.

 

Santos is obviously an unrepentant slimebag and, overall, it makes almost all of us in the Left, Middle, and Right happier to see him GONE. BUT -- the one thing that troubles me (and the precident of which will create problems for many years to come) is that fact that right up today, Santos is the first member of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War who wasn't first convicted of a felony.

Santos has been charged with crimes, but not convicted. Moreover, he refused to resign... so... where was the legal justification to expel him from the House of Representatives? Wouldn't the proper course of action been to have had the citizens of his New York district initiate a recall?!

Yeah, I know... I know... very few wanted Santos to remain in the House. Santos is the kind of Republican that makes others hate Republicans! This is well-understood. But what the House has done today is reminiscent of how similar issues with different slimebags were dealt with in totalitarian countries, like Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia.

 

I think all they had to do was wait a year for the voters to vote him out of office. That is the way things are supposed to work. He is a cretin to be sure but not the only cretin in congress.

 

There has been no conviction, but just to be clear a congressional committee saying there was one, even without a conviction, is enough to remove from office then?

 

Good take....

That makes some sense.... there are still constituents who need service, regardless of who holds the actual office...

I mean, it's not like Santos was actually "supervising the staff and managing the office" here.... Certainly not why he ran for Congress in the first place...

 

So a congressional committee saying there were crimes committed is enough, there doesn't have to be a conviction of any kind?

 

Congress makes its own rules. It's right there in the Constitution. Expulsion is not a criminal or legal issue, it's about behavior in Congress.

 

I think for what he has been charged happened before he came to Congress but that being said just to be clear a conviction in a court is not required for removal from office?

 

Yes I know and a criminal conviction is not required for Congress to remove someone from an office if Congress believes they committed a crime.

 

Could this be a watch out what you wish for moment?