WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to expel New York Republican George Santos from Congress over the lies, scandals and alleged campaign finance crimes.

 

The lower chamber voted 311-114 to expel Santos, with 105 Republicans and 206 Democrats voting for expulsion. All Republican leaders voted against expulsion.

 

The latest action, which required a two-thirds majority, makes Santos, a first-term lawmaker, the sixth member of the House to be expelled in the body's history. Such move hasn't happened in more than 20 years.

 

Santos invented ties to the Holocaust and made false claims that his mother was at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. His detractors also mentioned several times his use of campaign funds for personal expenses.

 

The removal of the scandal-ridden 35-year-old Congressman came two weeks after a scathing House Ethics Committee report revealed details about his use of campaign funds for personal benefit. Santos, however, repeatedly debunked the report as political smear.

 

Santos faces 23 federal felony counts. A 23-count indictment was filed in October in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charging him with conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud.

 

"George Santos is a liar -- in fact, he has admitted to many of them -- who has used his position of public trust to personally benefit himself from Day 1," said Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, a Republican of New York.

 

Santos survived two previous expulsion efforts due to the influence of the current House speaker, Mike Johnson, and his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, who both didn't want to lose his seat to a Democrat in a special election.

 

Under New York state law, the governor has 10 days to declare the date of a special election.

 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Friday that she was prepared to fill the vacancy. "I am prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York's 3rd District. The people of Long Island deserve nothing less," she said on social media platform X.