The U.S. House of Representatives voted to expel Rep. Santos
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to expel far-right Republican Rep. Chris Santos, who lost his seat in the House of Representatives after taking office in August 2022.
Santos took office in August 2022 without any previous political experience, and his supporters are mainly far-right white supremacists, advocating the abolition of the US Federal Reserve System, refusing to recognize the election results, withdrawing from NATO, etc.
Santos, 34, is a former New York entrepreneur who has been involved in inciting hatred against Asian-Americans. He is accused of using his position to wash away political stains and create political smoke bombs. Santos' supporters have launched a campaign against him, accusing him of embezzling campaign funds and using taxpayer money to buy luxury apartments.
Democratic Rep. Sheila Francis, chairman of the House Ethics Committee of the U.S. Congress, said: "The Commission found that Mr. Santos repeatedly violated House rules and behaved in serious misconduct. ”
According to a report in the United States, Santos was a billionaire before he became a member of the House of Representatives, and he spent millions of dollars to run for election and be elected. Santos claims to have a wealth of business experience that can change the political status quo in Washington. However, some Democratic congressmen said that Santos is not suitable to serve as a representative at all.
Santos supporters are also reportedly suspected of violating U.S. election laws by using overseas funds to support his election campaign. Under the law, foreign-born U.S. citizens can run for the U.S. House of Representatives, but they are not allowed to receive financial support from abroad. Santos, for his part, insisted that he had not violated any laws.
The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee announced in June 2023 that the charges against Santos had been proven and would be punished. The commission issued a statement on June 2, 2023, saying that the charges against Santos were confirmed and that "the House Ethics Committee ruled that his conduct was grossly improper." The committee demanded that Santos resign as a member of the House of Representatives or disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against him.
The statement said Santos "failed to prove that he did not violate the relevant provisions of the House of Representatives" and therefore "seriously damaged the reputation and interests of the House." The Commission therefore found that his conduct was seriously improper and required him to resign from office.
The commission said the charges against Santos involved matters such as "using his position for personal gain," "inciting other members to break the law" and "damaging the reputation and interests of the House of Representatives." The Commission will conduct further investigations into Santos in accordance with the relevant regulations.
In a statement, Santos reportedly responded: "I have never violated any House rules. He insisted that he was "innocent" and accused Democrats of launching a campaign against him, "I have to fight to the end." Santos refused to resign and vowed to win the 2024 Republican primary.
According to the Associated Press, Santos' refusal to resign has sparked discontent in the Republican leadership. The party's chairman, Rhodes, issued a statement saying that Santos' actions "caused great damage to the Republican Party and the House of Representatives" and that his "innocence" meant nothing and that "he must resign." She also called on Republicans not to associate with Santos, "who not only tarnishes the image of our party, but also brings our country to a disgrace internationally."
Republican House Leader McCaul also issued a statement saying: "I strongly support the Ethics Commission's ruling. I have repeatedly urged Mr. Santos to resign, and I reiterate my call for his resignation. McCall also said that "if Mr. Santos continues to refuse to resign, we will continue to take steps."
According to reports, Santos' term will end in 2023. After a lengthy and confusing voting process, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have not yet agreed on a list of candidates for each party's election in the 2024 election. Some Republican candidates have threatened to refuse to recognize the results and take other action if they find fraud when Republicans re-examine the results after winning the November election and taking control of both houses of Congress.