US deputies may vote this Wednesday on the expulsion process of George Santos, a legislator of Brazilian origin | World

5 points about George Santos, deputy who lied and became the target of accusations in the USA

Lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives may vote this Wednesday (1st) on the expulsion process of George Santos, a politician of Brazilian origin. Santos is from the Republican Party, which controls the House. If he is expelled, the party is closer to losing the majority of seats.

The item is on the deputies’ agenda, but there is a move to postpone the vote until November 17th, when the Chamber’s ethics committee is expected to make a recommendation on the case.

In US history, five deputies were expelled by their colleagues from the Chamber, and three of them lost their mandate for having fought the US in the country’s Civil War, between 1861 and 1865. If Santos is expelled, he will be the first to leave the Chamber before even a judicial conviction — for now, he has been accused, but there is still no decision from the Court.

George Santos invented several stories during his electoral campaign in 2020. At the end of last month, he was formally charged in court with 23 crimes. Among these accusations are the following:

• Money laundering to use campaign funds for personal expenses.
• Having illegally received unemployment insurance money.
• Charging money from campaign donors’ credit cards without their consent.

Santos claims he is innocent. This is the second criminal case that Santos faces in US courts. In May, he was accused of fraud and money laundering. He paid a US$500,000 bond to avoid being arrested pending the processing of the case.

In the Chamber, it was Anthony D’Esposito, a party colleague of Santos, who presented, last Thursday, a proposal to expel Santos from Congress.

“George Santos is not fit to serve his constituents as a United States Representative,” said D’Esposito.

To be approved, two-thirds of deputies (290 votes) need to vote on the measure. Representatives from the Democratic Party called for Santos to be expelled several times, and more than ten Republicans did the same.

Santos is the son of Brazilians. He was elected from a district that includes parts of New York City and suburbs. The scandals began shortly after his election in November 2022, first facing accusations that he forged much of his resume and then criminal charges.