George Santos expelled from the House

U.S. Representative George Santos (R-NY) walks outside the Central Islip Federal Courthouse on the day of his hearing, in Central Islip, New York, U.S., October 27, 2023.
U.S. Representative George Santos (R-NY) walks outside the Central Islip Federal Courthouse on the day of his hearing, in Central Islip, New York, U.S., October 27, 2023.
REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

(Updated Dec. 1) Mendacious NY Representative George Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives on Friday, by a vote of 311 to 114, with two members voting “present.” Republicans had thus far been unwilling to risk their slim House majority to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) despite his purported lies about … pretty much everything, but an Ethics Committee report alleging extensive financial malfeasance did the trick.

The report found “substantial evidence” that Santos used campaign donations and credit card numbers stolen from donors to fund, among other expenses, luxury shopping trips, plastic surgery, casino vacations, and purchases on OnlyFans, a website where people sell sexually explicit photos and videos. He’s now facing 23 federal charges.

The House had never expelled a member in advance of a criminal conviction, and Santos survived two votes thanks to GOP members who felt keeping him in their thin majority was worth the embarrassment. But with the 2024 election approaching, Republicans worried that backing an alleged scammer wasn’t the best look, even if it means decreasing the GOP's narrow majority in the House.

“It’s especially pertinent for the New York Republicans who are trying to hold onto seats they won by slim margins in 2022,” said Eurasia Group analyst Noah Daponte-Smith. “They really don't want to be saddled with Santos and have been leading the expulsion push.”

Asked for comment after the vote, Santos said “to hell with this place” and then refused to answer further questions from reporters, claiming that he was no longer obliged as he was no longer a Congressperson.

More from GZERO Media

People attend a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29, 2025.
REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Istanbul this weekend to protest the detainment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular contender for the next presidential election.

Democratic-backed Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford and Republican-backed Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel square off in their only debate until their April 1 election.
Brian Cahn/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

Elections are back in the United States — and so is the money. Six months after the 2024 US presidential vote, Wisconsinites will head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether liberal candidate Susan Crawford or her opponent, conservative Brad Schimel,will tip the ideological balance of the state Supreme Court. The liberals currently have a 4-3 advantage.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo on March 30, 2025.
POOL via ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters

In his first trip to Asia this weekend, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called for greater military cooperation between Tokyo and Washington.

People walk by as a painter repaints an anti-US mural in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening to bomb the country and impose secondary tariffs if Tehran fails to reach a new agreement on its nuclear program. In a telephone interview with NBC News, Trump stated, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

President Donald Trump waves as he walks before departing for Florida from the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on March 28, 2025.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Is the bloom off the bromance between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin? On Sunday, Trump took Putin to task over Russia’s foot-dragging on a ceasefire in Ukraine and threatened to tariff Russian oil and impose more sanctions on the country.

Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed after the strong earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
REUTERS/Stringer

The death toll continues to rise in Myanmar after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near the central city of Mandalay on March 28. Approximately 1,700 people are dead and over 3,400 injured, with the US Geological Service estimating that casualties could top 10,000. Relief operations are further complicated by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, though a two-week ceasefire was declared on Sunday.

Listen: Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, made his fortune-breaking industries—space, cars, social media—and is now trying to break the government… in the name of fixing it. But what happens when Silicon Valley’s ‘move fast and break things’ ethos collides with the machinery of federal bureaucracy? On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with WIRED Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to unpack the implications of Musk’s deepening role in the Trump administration and what’s really behind his push into politics.

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference following a summit for the "coalition of the willing" at the Elysee Palace in Paris on March 27, 2025.

LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS

At the third summit of the so-called “coalition of the willing” for Ukraine on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a multinational “reassurance force” to deter Russian aggression once a ceasefire is in place – and to engage if attacked.