- Santos was expelled on Friday and left Congress saying 'to hell with this place'
- He previously complained about joining the shortlist of traitors and thugs
- He faces 23 counts of fraud and was subjected to a damning ethics report
Former serial liar George Santos joins a short list of just five lawmakers who have committed treason against the Union or attempted to steal from voters or taxpayers and been expelled from the House of Representatives.
The House has rarely used its power to expel members from its ranks. It has now happened only six times since 1789. Santos is the latest, after just 100 Republicans joined Democrats in a 311-114 vote to expel him from the body.
That came after Santos complained about being lumped in with “three Confederate defectors” and two more recent lawmakers, one now dead, who were deported after their criminal convictions.
The Confederates were Representatives John B. Clark and John W. Reid of Missouri and Henry Burnett of Kentucky. The other two were Rep. Michael “Ozzie” Myers of Pennsylvania and Rep. James C. Traficant of Ohio.
Clark was a slave owner who was elected as a Whig and then joined the Democrats. He served in both the House of Representatives and the Confederate Congress and led a secessionist guard force in his home state before taking up arms against the US.
Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was expelled from Congress in a 311-114 vote. He complained shortly before the election that he was being lumped in with “defectors expelled for treason”
Reid was a slave owner who incited raiders to attack the Kansas town of Osawatomie and fought against John Brown's forces in the lead-up to the Civil War – something he did before being elected to the House of Representatives.
Burnett was a slave owner and separatist who also took up arms against the United States. He served as a colonel in the Confederate Army and served as a senator in the Confederate Congress.
Traficant, the last member to be expelled, was convicted of bribery, fraud and obstruction after representing himself at trial. He died in a farm accident after serving his sentence.
He was a colorful lawmaker who used C-SPAN broadcasts, known for shouting “Beam Me Up!” during speeches and with an infamous toupee. He was removed by a vote of 420 to 1.
Beam me up! Former Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, was convicted on fraud charges and expelled after the ethics committee found him guilty on nine counts. He was deported after being convicted 420 to 1 in court on ten charges in 2002
John W. Reid led troops that attacked the city during the Battle of Osawatomie in 1956 and was subsequently elected to Congress. He was kicked out after serving in the Confederate Congress
Missouri Representative John B. Clark led a secessionist guard force in his home state and joined the Confederate Congress
Hon. Henry Cornelius Burnett of KY, between 1855 and 1865. He was a colonel in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War
Rep. Michael Myers, D-Pa., was convicted in the Abscam scandal and went back to prison last year after pleading guilty to election fraud charges
Myers was sentenced to prison following his conviction in the Abscam scandal after taking bribes from undercover FBI agents and serving more than a year in prison. He reported back to prison last year at the age of 79 after pleading guilty to election fraud charges.
Santos is accused of embezzling campaign funds and using them to finance Botox treatments, Hermes bags, OnlyFans payments and casino withdrawals. He blasted colleagues for forcing him to attend the deportation club ahead of his trial, which was due to take place in September.
He said it was unfair to do this before sentencing, even though he admitted he would have done things differently.
“I want people to vote their conscience and I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable,” he told Fox News hours before his deportation.
“So if your choice is to change the precedent and join three Confederate defectors expelled for treason, and two convicted members convicted by a court, then I will be the first person expelled from Congress put without conviction or without committing treason. And it sets a dangerous new precedent for the future…to the ultimate demise of this body,” he said.
He also said in that interview that he would be “gracious” if his colleagues voted to remove him. After the vote, he said “to hell with this place” before wading through a media phalanx to get into a black car.