Santos’s name removed from former office

Former Rep. George Santos’s (R-N.Y.) name plaque was removed from his former office Friday, hours after he was expelled from Congress.

Surrounded by reporters, a House employee unscrewed the plaque from the wall and removed Santos’s name at about 3:30 p.m. It was replaced by a temporary sign stating “Office of the Third Congressional District of New York.”

Santos was expelled early Friday in a 311-114-2 vote, making him the sixth House member ever to be removed from office.

He is accused of fraud and breaking campaign finance law, as well as other violations listed in a bombastic House Ethics Committee report released last month. He also faces 23 criminal counts for his alleged actions, though he has not yet faced trial.

As he left Congress for the last time as a member Friday, Santos criticized Congress.

“To hell with this place,” he said. “The House voted — that’s their vote. They just set a new dangerous precedent for themselves.”

In political terms, the expulsion leaves Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) with one fewer vote for an already slim GOP majority. The vacancy is expected to be filled via a special election in Spring 2024.

The 3rd District is expected to be tightly contested in 2024. It is considered a “Toss Up,” according to the Cook Political Report.