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.”
Key events
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.”
As required by law, I will announce the date for a special election in the third district within the next ten days.
I take this responsibility seriously, and am committed to ensuring there will be a Member of Congress who can serve Nassau and Queens Counties.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 1, 2023
Who might replace George Santos?
Fran Lawther
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.
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:
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”.
Wasting no time, House Democratic super PAC announces plans to spend big to pick up Santos’ seat.
House Majority PAC President Mike Smith says the group plans “to play a significant role in the NY-03 special election, and we will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue”— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 1, 2023
Santos’s victory in 2022 had flipped the district for the Republicans – now Democrats look eager to make that a blip.
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.”
I am prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District.
The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 1, 2023
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.
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.”
Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), a member of the Ethics Committee, tells CNN that Max Miller’s last-minute email detailing how George Santos personally ripped him and his mother off convinced dozens of Republicans to vote to remove Santos today. pic.twitter.com/XQKNcNNWtK
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) December 1, 2023
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.”
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.…
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) December 1, 2023
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 is out.
Following his official expulsion from Congress, the now-former congressman refused to answer questions from reporters before getting into a car and leaving the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/cUAgAD0i21
— The Recount (@therecount) December 1, 2023
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.
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.”