Republican congressman George Santos has been expelled from the House of Representatives after a report found “overwhelming evidence” he misused campaign donations.
Mr Santos was ousted in a bipartisan vote that he lost 311-114 – only the sixth time a member has been kicked out of the House since it was founded in 1789.
Two-thirds of members must support the ousting – but an excoriating report by the House ethics committee that accused him of breaking federal law appeared to seal his fate.
The 35-year-old led his own defence on the floor of the House and said he would “not stand by quietly”.
Speaking on the evening before the vote, he said: “The people of the Third District of New York sent me here. If they want me out, you’re going to have to go silence those people and go take the hard vote.”
Mr Santos argued it would set a precedent that would make expulsions more common.
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Three previous cases involved disloyalty to the Union during the American Civil War, the remaining two were after politicians were convicted of federal crimes.
The young congressman is in his first term and had been previously feted as an exciting prospect after he flipped a district from the Democrats in November 2022.
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But the ethics committee launched a probe in March following reports he lied about having Jewish ancestry, as well as a Wall Street career and college degree.
It later said it had found “overwhelming evidence” of law-breaking and Santos has now admitted making up much of his biography.
The US attorney’s office indicted him in May, accusing Mr Santos of cheating donors and stealing from his campaign funds.
It alleged he stole donors’ identities and used their credit cards to make tens of thousands in authorised charges.
They say some of the money was sent to his personal account. Mr Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
