US Politics

A federal judge on Friday rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss his federal criminal case over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, ruling that he enjoyed no immunity from prosecution simply because it was based on actions he took when he was still president.The order by the presiding US district judge Tanya Chutkan simultaneously denied two of Trump’s motions to dismiss – on presidential immunity grounds and constitutional grounds – setting the stage for Trump to appeal to the DC circuit and ultimately the US supreme court.“The court cannot conclude that our constitution cloaks former presidents with absolute immunity for any federal crimes they committed while in office,” Chutkan wrote. “Nothing in the constitution’s text or allocation of government powers requires exempting former presidents.”“Defendant’s four-year service as commander in chief did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens,” Chutkan’s 48-page opinion added.Trump’s lawyers had always expected to lose their initial attempt to toss the charges, which is scheduled for trial in federal district court in Washington next March, and to use the appeals process as their final strategy to delay the case as long as possible.The former president has made it no secret that his strategy for all his impending cases is to delay, ideally beyond the 2024 election in November, in the hopes that winning re-election could enable him to potentially pardon himself or direct his attorney general to drop the charges.Trump’s lawyers filed their motions to dismiss in October, advancing a sweeping and unprecedented interpretation of executive power that argued former presidents could not be held criminally accountable for actions undertaken while in office.The filing contended that all of Trump’s attempts to reverse his 2020 election defeat in the indictment, from pressuring his vice-president, Mike Pence, to stop the congressional certification to organizing fake slates of electors, were in his capacity as president and therefore protected.At the heart of the Trump legal team’s filing was the extraordinary contention that not only was Trump entitled to absolute presidential immunity, but that the immunity applied regardless of Trump’s intent in engaging in the conduct described in the indictment.The judge emphatically rejected the presidential immunity arguments in the opinion accompanying her order, writing that neither the US constitution nor legal precedent supported such an extraordinary extension of post-presidential power.“Whatever immunities a sitting president may enjoy, the United States has only one chief executive at a time, and that position does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass,” Chutkan wrote. “Former presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability.”The judge appeared to take particular umbrage at the Trump lawyers’ claim that it was unconstitutional to charge Trump just because no other former presidents before him had been charged, writing that while his case was unprecedented, so too were the crimes for which he has been charged.“The supreme court has never immunized presidents – much less former presidents – from judicial process merely because it was the first time that process had been necessary,” Chutkan wrote, invoking US history and the pardon conferred to Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandalThe presidential pardon to Nixon was granted and accepted precisely to prevent the possibility of criminal prosecution over Watergate, the opinion said – without which, there would have been no need for a pardon in the first place.The judge noted, however, that she was not expressing an opinion on an adjacent argument Trump had raised about whether his actions related to January 6 could be prosecuted because they fell within the so-called “outer perimeter” of his duties as president.Chutkan’s denial came hours after the DC circuit also rejected Trump’s attempt to use a similar presidential immunity argument to protect himself from several civil lawsuits seeking to hold him accountable for inciting the violence that took place during the January 6 Capitol attack.In a statement, a Trump spokesperson attacked the order: “Radical Democrats, under the direction of crooked Joe Biden, continue to try and destroy bedrock constitutional principles and set dangerous precedents that would cripple future presidential administrations and our country as a whole, in their desperate effort to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.” More

A protester with a Palestinian flag self-immolated on Friday outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, injuring a security guard who attempted to intervene, authorities said.The person, whom officials did not identify, is in critical condition, the Atlanta police chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference. The guard’s condition was not immediately clear.“We believe this building remains safe, and we do not see any threat here,” the chief said. “We believe that was an act of extreme political protest.“The protester arrived about 12.15pm ET at the office building – which houses the consulate as well as several businesses – and used gasoline, police said.The FBI’s Atlanta office said it was coordinating with local law enforcement. The consulate and the Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on Friday after talks to extend a week-long truce collapsed.Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas after the militant group attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.More than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault, Palestinian officials say, which has destroyed much of the territory.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe conflict has prompted hundreds of protests and rallies across the US, both in support of Palestinians as well as Israelis. More

A Democratic congressman says his home was vandalized on Thursday night by “people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza”.Adam Smith, a US House member from Washington state, called the vandalism to his home in the city of Bellevue “sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system”.Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House armed services committee, has not joined calls from some in his party for a ceasefire and was part of a group that sent a letter to Joe Biden applauding the president’s support for Israel.The vandalism entailed spray-painting Smith’s garage, the Seattle Times reports.Smith said he and his staff have often met with groups across the political spectrum, including pro-Palestinian activists. And he said he was still willing to meet with those groups “in a productive and peaceful way”.“The extremism on both the left and right side of our political spectrum is a threat to a healthy, functioning democracy and has been condoned for far too long,” Smith said in a statement. “The simple truth is that extremism on both sides is degrading to our political system and must be rooted out for our democracy to be able to persist.”Pramila Jayapal, also a Democratic House member from Washington state, wrote on X that vandalizing someone’s home “crosses the line”.“As an activist before coming to Congress, as a member of Congress who’s been violently targeted at my home, I firmly believe everyone should be able to feel safe in their homes,” Jayapal said. “Let’s find smart, non-violent ways to air our differences & respect the boundaries of home & family.” More

With George Santos expelled from the House, New York governor Kathy Hochul will have to call a special election within the next 10 days, according to New York law.In a post shortly after his expulsion, Hochul said that she is prepared to “undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd district.”She went on to add, “The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”The special election is required to take place between 70 and 80 days later, which means an election day would occur some time next February or March.According to New York’s election law, local party leaders will be required to choose their candidates for the special election. The winner of the election will go on to complete the remainder of Santos’s term.Last month, Santos said that will not be running for re-election. In a fiery press conference on Thursday, he told reporters, “The future is endless… I’m going to do whatever I want. Whatever comes my way, I have the desire to stay very much involved in public policy and advocacy for specific issues.”Following Santos’s expulsion, House Democratic super PAC announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-03 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports.Its president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue.”Meanwhile, Anna Kaplan, a former Democratic New York state senator, has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat.In a post on X, Kaplan wrote:
“George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional District. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”
It is 4pm in Washington DC. Here is a wrap-up of the day’s key events:
New York’s Republican representative George Santos was expelled from the House in a 311-114 vote. The vote to expel Santos, the second since his election last year, required a two-thirds majority of those present. Santos therefore becomes only the sixth member ever expelled from the US House. The first three fought for the Confederacy in the civil war. The other two were expelled after being convicted of crimes.
Two Democrats voted against expelling George Santos. Georgia’s representative Nikema Williams and Robert C. Scott voted nays, while Democratic representatives Jonathan Jackson of Illinois and Al Green of Texas voted present.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, has released the following statement on George Santos’s expulsion: “Long Island and Queens deserve better.”
California’s Democratic representative Adam Schiff, who voted yes on George Santos’s expulsion, released a statement in which he called the expulsion “justified.” “George Santos misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign money, stole donor identities to fund his extravagant lifestyle, and has been indicted for fraud and financial crimes. I voted yes,” Schiff said.
New York governor Kathy Hochul said that she is “prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filing the vacancy in New York’s 3rd district.” In a post on X following George Santos’s expulsion, Hochul added:“The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”
Hochul also said that she will announce the date for a special election in New York’s third district within the next days.” In a tweet on Thursday, Hochul added: “I take this responsibility seriously, and am committed to ensuring there will be a Member of Congress who can serve Nassau and Queens Counties.”
The special election is required to take place between 70 and 80 days later, which means an election day would occur some time next February or March. According to New York’s election law, local party leaders will be required to choose their candidates for the special election. The winner of the election will go on to complete the remainder of Santos’s term.
Following Santos’s expulsion, House Democratic super PAC announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-03 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports. Its president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue.”
Anna Kaplan, a former Democratic New York state senator, has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat. In a post on X, Kaplan wrote: “George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional district. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”
Flowers have been laid – and picked up – from the office of George Santos following his expulsion from the House, according to photos surfacing on social media.Meanwhile, other pictures posted online showed people taking selfies outside of Santos’s office.New York’s Democratic representative Ritchie Torres said on Friday that George Santos’s “legacy lives on through a bill I named after him: the SANTOS Act.”Torres went on to say that the bill “holds Congressional candidates accountable for lying to the public.”“STOP ANOTHER NON-TRUTHFUL OFFICE SEEKER,” he added.Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, has released the following statement on George Santos’s expulsion:
“Long Island and Queens deserve better.”
The locks have been changed on expelled George Santos’s office on Capitol Hill following Friday’s House vote that pushed him out of his seat.New York’s governor Kathy Hochul said that she will announce the date for a special election in New York’s third district within the next days.”In a tweet on Thursday, Hochul added:
“I take this responsibility seriously, and am committed to ensuring there will be a Member of Congress who can serve Nassau and Queens Counties.”
With a special election due to be called within days – and election day looming early in 2024, let’s take a look at some of the likely candidates:DemocratsTom SuozziSuozzi represented New York’s third district before Santos did – and he wants his job back. The Democratic former Congressman announced in October that he wants to make a comeback. In his statement at the time, he said he wanted to bring “sanity and reason” back to Washington.Anna KaplanThe former Democratic New York state senator has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat.Kaplan did not waste time throwing her hat in the ring. In a post on X, she wrote on Friday:
George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional District. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”
RepublicansAccording to the New York Times, former NYPD detective Mike Sapraicone is a top candidate.Jack MartinsThe newly elected state senator is also a potential Republican candidate, Newsweek reported. It could help that he has called Santos a fraud and called for his resignation.Mazi PilipPhilp has not said she is running but is under consideration, according to the NYT. She moved from Ethiopia to Israel as a refugee, has served in the Israeli Defense Forces. She is currently a Nassau county legislator.Santos’s expulsion from the House is the latest chapter in what has been a spectacular fall from grace for the New York congressman.The first-term lawmaker was initially celebrated as an up-and-coming star after he flipped his district from Democrats in 2022 and helped Republicans win control of the House.But he has become notorious for a series of claims that have turned out to be untrue. Here is a look back at some of those claims:The House Democratic super PAC has announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-O3 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports.House majority PAC president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue”.Santos’s victory in 2022 had flipped the district for the Republicans – now Democrats look eager to make that a blip.With George Santos expelled from the House, New York governor Kathy Hochul will have to call a special election within the next 10 days, according to New York law.In a post shortly after his expulsion, Hochul said that she is prepared to “undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd district.”She went on to add, “The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.”The special election is required to take place between 70 and 80 days later, which means an election day would occur some time next February or March.According to New York’s election law, local party leaders will be required to choose their candidates for the special election. The winner of the election will go on to complete the remainder of Santos’s term.Last month, Santos said that will not be running for re-election. In a fiery press conference on Thursday, he told reporters, “The future is endless… I’m going to do whatever I want. Whatever comes my way, I have the desire to stay very much involved in public policy and advocacy for specific issues.”Following Santos’s expulsion, House Democratic super PAC announced plans to “play a significant role in the NY-03 special election,” CNN’s Manu Raju reports.Its president Mike Smith said that the group “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue.”Meanwhile, Anna Kaplan, a former Democratic New York state senator, has announced that she is “battle tried and tested” to take on the vacant seat.In a post on X, Kaplan wrote:
“George Santos has officially been expelled. A special election is now right around the corner. It’s time to restore integrity to New York’s 3rd Congressional District. I am battle tried and tested. I am ready. If chosen as our party’s nominee, I will flip this seat blue. We will win.”
Two Democrats voted against expelling George Santos.Georgia’s representative Nikema Williams and Robert C. Scott voted nays, while Democratic representatives Jonathan Jackson of Illinois and Al Green of Texas voted present. More

The expulsion of George Santos from Congress on Friday has ramifications beyond the New York Republican’s career prospects.The historic vote has sparked a scramble among Democrats and Republicans to elect a replacement for Santos, who was found by an ethics committee to have used campaign funds for purchases. A special election is likely to take place early next year.Given Santos’s troubles – the now former congressman also faces 23 federal charges including fraud and conspiracy – several candidates had already announced they would run for his seat in New York’s third congressional district.With New York legally required to hold a special election in less than 90 days, the race for Santos’s Long Island district, which voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and was represented by Democrats for 10 years before swinging Republican last year, has dramatically accelerated.There will be no primary in the special election. Instead local Democratic and Republican party leaders will choose the parties’ nominees to replace Santos in a finely balanced House of Representatives – Santos’s expulsion reduced Republicans’ advantage over Democrats in the House of Representatives eight seats: 221-213. Democrats are expected to announce their nominee on Tuesday, with Republicans also likely to reveal their candidate soon.The DemocratsTom Suozzi appears to be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. He was elected to the third congressional district in 2017, but declined to run in 2022, instead announcing a run for governor of New York state. Born and raised in the area, Suozzi announced a bid to reclaim his seat in October.“You know me. I’ve never sat on the sidelines,” Suozzi said in his announcement. A centrist Democrat, he added that “more common sense and compassion” was required in politics, and “less chaos and senseless fighting”.Multiple reports have said Suozzi will be chosen to run, despite a sometimes bitter gubernatorial campaign. Suozzi, 61, repeatedly clashed with Kathy Hochul, the ultimate victor, which did not endear him to Democratic leaders, but his relatively high profile as a former congressman could help.Anna Kaplan, like Suozzi, had announced she was running to replace Santos before he was kicked out of Congress on Friday. Kaplan ran for the third congressional district in 2016 – an election Suozzi ultimately won – before being elected to the New York state senate in 2019.She lost a re-election bid in 2022 amid a Republican wave in Long Island that swept Santos into the House, and in May this year Kaplan said she would run against Santos.“For me, this congressional district is very, very personal. I left a country where I saw the rightwing extremists taking over and stripped women of their rights,” Kaplan, who was born in Iran and moved to the US as a 13-year-old, told City & State New York earlier this year.Robert Zimmerman, the Democratic nominee in 2022 who lost to Santos by seven points, hasn’t announced a run for the third congressional seat, but Axios reported he “could be tapped by party leaders”.Austin Cheng, an army veteran and healthcare CEO, would be a fresher face. The City reported that as of 30 September Cheng had raised the most cash of any of the Democratic candidates – but that might be irrelevant now that party leaders will choose the candidate.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe RepublicansMazi Pilip is among a reported “10 to 15” candidates being considered by the local Republican party. A local politician in Nassau county, which makes up much of the third congressional district, she has relatively little political experience and has not declared her candidacy.Pilip was born in Ethiopia and moved to Israel when she was 13, going on to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. A vocal supporter of Israel, in November she joined with other local legislators in calling for the pro-Palestinian group Students for Justice In Palestine to be banned from university campuses and potentially prosecuted.Mike Sapraicone, a former New York police department detective, is “near the top” of the list being considered by Republicans, according to the New York Times. Sapraicone, who founded a security business after leaving the NYPD, announced his run for Santos’s seat in October.“I think running a business teaches you how to understand people and work together,” Sapraicone told Fox5 NY.Sapraicone’s background as a police officer, and his deep pockets – he has lent his campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars – “could be helpful in a region where public safety has been a top electoral concern and TV ads are expensive”, the New York Times reported.Jack Martins, who won his seat in the New York state senate by defeating Anna Kaplan last year, is another potential nominee. A longtime fixture in New York Republican circles, he ran for Congress in 2016, losing to Suozzi.ABC7 New York reported that Martins, who described Santos as “a fraud” earlier this year, “​​seems hesitant to run, but may be pulled into a special election to hold the seat”. More

The chairman of Florida’s Republican party, Christian Ziegler, is reported to be under investigation for sexual battery – a potential political bombshell in a state that Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis call home.According to heavily redacted police department documents, Ziegler is mentioned in the context of an “active criminal investigation” after an individual reported being “sexually battered” at home in Sarasota on 2 October.The detective’s report mentions a “sexual assault allegation” and “sexual assault complaint” but almost no other information. Only five words survive the redactions: “stated … raped … stated that … raped”, according to Sarasota’s Herald-Tribune and other outlets.Derek Byrd, an attorney for the Republican party chairman, said he was confident his client “will be completely exonerated” and said he had been “fully cooperative with every request made by the Sarasota police department”.“Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain,” Byrd added. “I would caution anyone not to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded. Out of respect for the investigation, this is all Mr Ziegler or myself can say at this time.”Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, said in a statement that Ziegler should resign. He told reporters that Ziegler has been a friend, but the “gravity of those situations” meant he could continue leading the party.“He’s innocent till proven guilty, but we just can’t have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny,” DeSantis said. “The mission is more important.”The police report containing the allegations was first brought to light by Florida Center for Government Accountability’s Florida Trident publication, which says police seized Ziegler’s cellphone and “investigators continue to conduct a forensic examination of the electronic device”, citing only anonymous sources.Sources told the publication that the woman accusing Ziegler “alleged that she and both Zieglers had been involved in a longstanding consensual three-way sexual relationship prior to the incident” and that the incident occurred when Ziegler and the woman were alone at the woman’s house.The Republican party of Sarasota county issued a statement saying the party was “shocked and disappointed” by the reports, adding that it “takes all such allegations of potential criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators”.The allegations hit as Florida Republicans are preparing for next year’s presidential election with a candidate for the nomination, DeSantis, struggling to make headway against the presumed nominee and Florida transplant, Trump.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionZiegler is a former Sarasota county commissioner who became chairman of the state Republican party in February. His wife, Bridget Ziegler, is a founder of Moms for Liberty (M4L), the parental rights organization that has been at the forefront of efforts to ban or require parental consent for certain LGBTQ+ books and literature in schools and libraries.In a now-deleted X post, M4L said: “Yet another attempt today to ruin the reputation of a strong woman fighting for America … We stand with @BridgetAZiegler & every other badass woman fighting for kids & America.”Bridget Ziegler, who is no longer involved with M4L, was with DeSantis when he signed legislation that came to be known as the “don’t say gay” bill and was appointed to a board that oversees a special district that oversees the Disney-owned Disneyland that DeSantis and state Republicans have feuded with.“As leaders in the Florida GOP and Moms for Liberty, the Zieglers have made a habit out of attacking anything they perceive as going against ‘family values’ – be it reproductive rights or the existence of LGBTQ+ Floridians,” the Florida Democratic party chair, Nikki Fried, said in a statement. “The level of hypocrisy in this situation is stunning.” More

The Republican congressman George Santos, who was expelled from Congress on Friday, still faces a sweeping federal indictment over his use of campaigns funds as well as other ethics questions that stem from his improbable, and indeed hard to believe, political career.The walls started to crumble for him in mid-December last year when the New York Times challenged many aspects of Santos’s supposed background – for one, that he is the “embodiment of the American dream” and had run for Congress to safeguard it for others.What is particularly remarkable about Santos is his ability to dodge and evade whenever he is called out for factual inaccuracies.Some choice examples:1Graduated from Baruch CollegeClaim: Santos, the son of Brazilian immigrants, and the first openly gay Republican to win a House seat as a non-incumbent, described himself as a New York public college graduate at Baruch. The college found no record of Santos as a student.Santos’s response: In an interview with the New York Post soon after the allegations surfaced, Santos confessed he hadn’t graduated from “from any institution of higher learning” and had used a “poor choice of words”.2Held positions at Citigroup and Goldman SachsClaim: He said he became a “seasoned Wall Street financier and investor”, holding jobs at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. Citigroup and Goldman Sachs said they had no record of Santos ever working there.Santos’s response: He told the Post he had “never worked directly” for Goldman Sachs or Citigroup.3Landlord of 13 propertiesClaim: Santos said he ran a family-owned portfolio of 13 properties. He asserted in an interview that his “family’s firm”, the Devolder Organization, managed $80m in assets.Santos’s response: He acknowledged that, far from having an extensive property portfolio, he had been in debt to his landlord – a result of medical debt from his mother’s cancer battle. “It’s the vulnerability of being human. I am not embarrassed by it.”4Dog rescuerClaim: He said he ran animal rescue charity, Friends of Pets United. There had been no dog charity, though he may have swindled a veteran over a pet’s medical bills and swindled off an Amish dog breeder with a bad check, according to Politico.Santos’s response: Santos told City & State that he’d worked on the non-profit but “never claimed to fly solo” on the group. “I was the guy picking up poop, cleaning, getting people, doing campaigns online,” he said.5Lost employees in Pulse shootingClaim: He said the Devolder organization had “lost four employees” at the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. But a check over the victims found that none of the 49 victims were connected to the company.Santos’s response: Santos backtracked, saying the four people had not worked for him directly. “But we did have people who were being hired to work for the company at the time … but yes, we did lose four people who were going to be coming to work for the company.”6Family escaped NazisClaim: Santos’s campaign website said that his mother was Jewish and his grandparents escaped the Nazis during the second world war. Santos’s response: Santos later clarified that he was “clearly Catholic”, but claimed his grandmother told stories about being Jewish and later converting to Catholicism. “I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos said. “I am Catholic. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said I was ‘Jew-ish’.”7Former Disney actorClaim: His Wikipedia biography said he landed roles on Disney Channel shows such as Hannah Montana. Politico noted that if Santos’s Wikipedia entry, which contained the Hannah Montana claim, was not written by Santos – who was then posing as Anthony Devolder – it would mean it was written by someone posing as Santos. Santos’s response: Santos’s communications director, Naysa Woomer, refused to respond.8A varied résuméClaim: He said he had been a Broadway producer who had helped produce Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, a 2011 rock musical; a journalist in Brazil; and the target of an “assassination”.Santos’s response: “I am not a criminal,” he told the New York Post. “My sins here are embellishing my résumé. I’m sorry.”9Niece was kidnappedClaim: He said his five-year-old niece has been kidnapped from a playground by Chinese men, possibly from the Chinese government. Santos’s response: “Look, I don’t want to go into like, conspiracy theory,” he told the Times. “But you know, if the shoe fits, right?”10Mother was at WTC on 9/11Claim: He said his mother, Fatima Devolder, had been in the World Trade Center on September 11. Santos’s response: Despite immigration records showing she was not in the US at the time, he told One America News that “the toxic dust that permeated throughout Manhattan and my mother being present [in] downtown Manhattan” led to her death in 2016.11Drag queen in RioClaim: He initially denied being the drag queen Kitara Ravache at the Rio carnival in 2008. Santos’s response: He said: “I had fun at a festival. Sue me for having a life.”12Used campaign funds for Botox and OnlyFansClaim: A congressional ethics committee said $50,000 in campaign funds had been used to pay for Botox treatments, pay down personal credit card bills and other debt; make a $4,127.80 purchase at Hermès; and for small purchases at Sephora and OnlyFans.Santos’s response: Santos told the Fox Business Network: “I’ll indulge you this, I just discovered what OnlyFans was three weeks ago, when it was brought up in a discussion in my office. I was oblivious to the whole concept.”13Local paper broke scandal newsClaim: The North Shore Leader, a local newspaper on Long Island that covers Great Neck – a part of Santos’s New York congressional district three, a wealthy area – began reporting on his alleged fraud in 2020, referring to him as George Scamtos. Editor Kim Tyndall said “voters ignored or didn’t avail themselves” of the reporting.Santos’s response: “I ran in 2020 for the same exact seat for Congress and I got away with it then,” he told Piers Morgan, adding he “didn’t think” he would get caught.14Lies would not deny him successClaim: Whatever exagerations he had made, he said, the controversy would “not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective. I will be good”.Santos’s response: After his fate was sealed on Friday, Santos stormed out of Congress and warned that the members had “set a new dangerous precedent for themselves”, adding “to hell with this place”. More

The House voted on Friday to expel the Republican George Santos, of New York, after a critical ethics report on his conduct that accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. He was just the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues. The expulsion push is the latest chapter in what has been a spectacular fall from grace for Santos, a first-term lawmaker initially celebrated as an up-and-comer after he flipped a district from Democrats last year and helped Republicans win control of the House. Here is a look back at some of his claims which proved untrue More