Former New York Congressman George Santos behaved in “gross unethical conduct” that created an “unprecedented situation” requiring “unprecedented action,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt of Haleyville.
Aderholt’s statement was released on Friday, the same day he became the only Alabama Republican to vote in support of expelling Santos from Congress. The expulsion resolution passed the U.S. House with a 311 to 114 decision with 105 Republicans voting with the overwhelming majority of Democrats in favor of expulsion. Only two Democrats voted “No” while two voted present.
Alabama’s other GOP congressmen — Jerry Carl, Barry Moore, Gary Palmer and Mike Rogers — voted against expulsion. Rep. Terri Sewell of Birmingham, the only Democrat in the Alabama delegation, also voted for expulsion.
Expulsion is the most severe form of punishment for a lawmaker in the House. It is exceedingly rare and requires a two-thirds majority vote to succeed. Santos is the first House member who was not a Confederate or who hasn’t been convicted of a crime to get expelled from office. He does face 23 criminal charges of wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In addition to legal issues, Santos has been criticized for months over revelations that he fabricated large parts of his life story, including significant elements of his resume and biography. Before he was sworn into office, reports emerged that he had lied about having Jewish ancestry, a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree.
Santos had survived a previous expulsion vote on Nov. 1. But a report from the House Ethics Committee released two weeks ago found there was “substantial evidence” that Santos repeatedly broke the law.
Aderholt voted against expulsion along with the rest of the Alabama GOP House delegation in the Nov. 1 vote.
In a statement Friday, Aderholt said the following:
“Voting to expel a member of Congress is a very solemn action that I do not take lightly. Many of my Republican colleagues voted no, and I understand how they could come to that conclusion, especially in light of the fact that since the Civil War, the House has not voted to expel a Member of Congress that has not been convicted of a crime. Each member had to review the facts and come to their own conclusion. That being said, as I reviewed the House Ethics Committee written report with all the charges that were made against him, George Santos was given multiple opportunities to defend himself and explain the allegations that were made against him, yet he refused.
“I believe the situation Congressman Santos finds himself in rose to the level that he should no longer be serving in the House of Representatives. While George Santos is a fellow Republican, and the Republican majority will now be less, I don’t believe that even a slim majority should excuse such gross unethical conduct. Politics should not be considered in such a matter. Moreover, I also had to ask myself if a member from the other side of the aisle was facing the same or similar situation, would I vote to expel and I found myself reaching the same conclusion. Members of Congress must be held to the highest standards. This was an unprecedented situation, and, I believe, required this unprecedented action.”
Carl, who is running for reelection in the 1st congressional district primary against Moore, said he believes the decision to expel Santos sets a “dangerous precedent” and will be a vote that will “haunt us.”
