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As it happenedended

George Santos unwittingly trolls former colleague on Cameo after House expulsion: Latest

Disgraced former Congressman charges $200 for single video greeting

Oliver O'Connell
Washington, DC
,Gustaf Kilander
Tuesday 05 December 2023 11:33 EST
Comments
Fetterman hires George Santos on Cameo to troll Senator Menendez

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Former Congressman George Santos is selling videos on Cameo, the site where celebrities offer short greetings for a fee.

Mr Santos was expelled from the House on Friday after more than a hundred Republicans joined almost all Democrats in voting to remove him from the chamber.

The 35-year-old describes himself as a “former congressional ‘Icon’” on the site, where he charges $200 per video. In one message, he told the buyer to “live life, laugh, and let the haters hate because they’re always gonna hate”.

Options to request include holiday messages, birthday wishes, some gossip, a pep talk, a roast, or some advice.

Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman’s social media team sent in a request for Mr Santos to do a pep talk for “Bobby from Jersey” in reference to New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez who stepped down as chair of the foreign relations committee after being indicted for allegedly taking bribes and acting as a foreign agent.

Mr Santos has joined only a handful of lawmakers ever ousted from their role, following a damning 56-page report from the House Ethics Committee which outlined “substantial evidence” that Mr Santos violated federal law.

...but wait, there’s more

Three other tri-state area representatives are also in Mr Santos’s sights as his revenge tour gets underway.

Republican Congressman Mike Lawler of upstate New York:

Republican Congressman Nick LaLota of Long Island:

And Democratic Congressman Rob Menendez of New Jersey, son of Senator Bob Menendez (currently under investigation regarding overseas dealings):

After making the allegations against the four New York area reps, Mr Santos signed off for the night at 12.42am.

Stay tuned...

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 15:37

Santos says his community service will be to clean up Congress

Unrepentant disgraced ex-Republican representative George Santos has decided that in filing all of these ethics reports against his former colleagues he is assuming a new role to sweep clean the halls of the US Capitol of corruption.

Check out his new bio on X:

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 16:00

Moment George Santos expelled from US House in landslide vote

George Santos has been expelled from the US House of Representatives after more than a hundred Republicans joined almost all Democrats in voting to remove him from the chamber. Mr Santos has been ousted from his role following a damning 56-page report from the House Ethics Committee which outlined “substantial evidence” that he violated federal law. The report claims Mr Santos used campaign money on Botox, OnlyFans, designer fashion and personal purchases. A two-thirds majority was needed to expel the New York representative – 311 members backed his ouster while 114 voted against it and two members voted present. Mr Santos is due to stand trial on 23 federal charges in September 2024.

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 16:15

Who voted to keep Santos in Congress?

Less than half of a majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to expel former congressman George Santos, but the ones who did so came mostly from endangered districts, swing states or were his fellow New Yorkers.

Mr Santos was one of 18 Republicans who in 2022 won in a district that had voted for President Joe Biden. All 17 of his fellow Biden-district Republicans--including his five fellow freshman Republicans in New York who won seats last year--voted to expel Mr Santos.

Other freshmen who flipped seats such as Reps Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon’s 5th district, Jen Kiggans of Virginia’s 2nd also voted to boot the 35-year-old. Many of them know that Mr Santos is a drag on their brand and needed to kick him out. For instance, Rep John Duarte of California’s 13th district, who also voted to expel, only won his district by 564 votes.

In addition, other Republicans such as Reps Don Bacon of Nebraska and Brian Fitzpatrick, who are considered more moderate Republicans who voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results, also voted to kick him out.

At the same time, House Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise; fellow New Yorker and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer all voted to keep him in Congress.

Similarly, many archconservative Republicans such as Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry, and Tim Burchett of Tennessee voted to keep him in office.

Several other Republicans from swing districts voted to keep him in office. Rep Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who only won her re-election in Colorado’s 3rd district by 546 votes last year, voted against expulsion.

Rep Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who had called for his resignation, also voted against expulsion.

Eric Garcia2 December 2023 16:15

Whither the Republican majority?

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 16:45

George Santos: An incredible rise... and a dramatic fall

Congressman George Santos’ shortlived tenure has been anything but dull — his rise to power and fall from grace have been equally mired in controversy.

After less than two years in Congress, his list of lies and scandals finally caught up with him, as he was ousted from Congress following the release of a damning House Ethics Committee report.

On 1 December, Mr Santos became only the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from the House, with a vote of 311 to 114.

Though the entire GOP leadership opposed his removal, 105 Republicans joined with Democrats in pushing him out.

The committee report appeared to be the final nail in the coffin, finding “substantial evidence” that Mr Santos had broken federal laws after finding “additional uncharged and unlawful conduct,” which included using campaign funds to make purchases at Hermes, Sephora and OnlyFans.

Bevan Hurley tracked one of the shortest and most colourful careers in congressional history.

The incredible rise and dramatic fall of George Santos

The GOP lawmaker and suspected fraudster’s murky and ever-changing biography makes it difficult to parse truth from fiction, Bevan Hurley reports

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 17:15

Republican lawmaker threatens ex-staffer in expletive-filled tirade

A Republican congressman was caught on camera at a Washington DC holiday party on Thursday threatening a former staffer in an expletive-filled tirade.

Rep Brandon Williams, who represents part of upstate New York, was seen jabbing his finger at Michael Gordon, his former campaign manager, during the event at the International Spy Museum.

As Mr Gordon protests, Rep Williams shouts at him: “You f*** with my family, I’ll end every relationship you have.”

Read on...

GOP congressman filmed threatening ex-staffer in expletive-filled tirade

‘You f*** with my family, I’ll end every relationship you have’

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 18:06

What revelations were in the House ethics committee report?

The long-awaited House Ethics Committee investigation into George Santos landed hard – becoming the final nail in the coffin of the New York representative’s scandalous time on Capitol Hill.

The lengthy report from the committee published in early November stated that there was credible evidence to indicate that the Republican misused campaign funds for a wide range of personal expenses, committed fraud, and misled the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

It was a damning end to a months-long investigation which had, until then, been Mr Santos’s golden ticket to survive the repeated efforts by his fellow lawmakers — including Republicans from his own state — to kick him out of Congress.

John Bowden has the story of fraud, fraud, and more fraud...

From Botox to OnlyFans: Key revelations in George Santos ethics report

The House Ethics Committee’s report which marked the beginning of the end for Mr Santos’ political career

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 18:15

What now for George Santos’s district?

The expulsion of scandal-ridden freshman Congressman George Santos has lit the fuse of a mad dash to replace him, with Democrats eager to reclaim the seat the infamous fabulist nabbed in the 2022 midterms.

Mr Santos was ousted on Friday after more than two-thirds of the House voted to remove him from the chamber. He was booted after a litany of scandals and criminal charges, with the unravelling of his political career beginning before he even took office in January of this year.

The last Republican to represent the area was Rep Rick Lazio, who left Congress after losing the New York Senate election in 2000 to then-First Lady and subsequent Secretary of State and Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Gustaf Kilander explains what happens next as the expulsion tees up a special election in a crucial presidential election year.

George Santos has been expelled from the House. What happens now?

Ouster of indicted 35-year-old serial fabulist sets up possible February 2024 contest to replace him

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 19:15

‘To hell with this place’

As he flounced down the steps of the US Capitol on Friday with his raincoat on his shoulders like a cape, Rep George Santos certainly reacted bitterly to his expulsion from the House of Representatives despite earlier having said before the vote that he would leave “graciously”.

“The House spoke, that’s their vote. They just set new dangerous precedent for themselves,” he said after the vote, according to CNN.

He was asked if he would remain and utilize his nonmember privileges since he’s not yet convicted of any crimes, he said: “Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place.”

“I had no skin in the game,” he added when asked if he knew he was about to be removed.

“You know what? As unofficially no longer a member of Congress, I no longer have to answer your questions,” he told the press.

Eric Garcia and Gustaf Kilander filed this report on the disgraced former congressman’s exit.

George Santos bitterly reacts to House expulsion: ‘To hell with this place’

‘Why would I want to stay here,’ 35-year-old says after refusing to resign despite calls to do so for months

Oliver O'Connell2 December 2023 20:15

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