In an unprecedented development, the U.S. House of Representatives has stripped its Republican member, George Santos, of his congressional mandate, following a scandal centered around his misleading of voters and misuse of campaign funds. This decision places Santos as only the sixth member in the long history of the House to be expelled.

Santos, who was elected at the age of 34 in November 2022, representing New York, found himself in hot water shortly after his election. In December, the New York press uncovered that Santos had fabricated significant parts of his resume presented to voters, including claims of graduating from college and working for renowned banks. The House Ethics Committee soon launched an investigation into his campaign, and New York authorities gradually charged Santos with more than twenty counts, including identity theft and money laundering.

In early November 2023, Santos initially survived a vote on his expulsion, with the majority of Republicans backing him. However, following the Ethics Committee's findings, 105 of his 221 party colleagues voted for his punishment. Combined with Democratic members, the motion to expel Santos passed with 311 votes to 114, reaching the necessary two-thirds majority.

The now-former representative of Southeast New York was immediately stripped of his mandate, leaving a void in his district.

In a close call just before the vote, the Republican leadership in the House stood by Santos. House Speaker Mike Johnson told the media that he would vote against the proposal. Santos' expulsion complicates the already challenging position of the Republican majority, which has thinned to 221 seats out of 435. Santos' seat will remain vacant until a special election is held in his district, where Democrats are anticipated to have a strong chance of gaining a seat.

Prior to today, the House had expelled only five members in its more than 200-year history. Three politicians were punished in 1861 for supporting the Southern Confederacy during the American Civil War. The other two expulsions, in 1981 and 2002, involved congressmen convicted of corruption and other financial crimes.