The 35-year-old New York lawmaker has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of crimes including laundering funds to pay for his personal expenses, illegally receiving unemployment benefits and charging donors’ credit cards without their consent.

The former treasurer for Santos’ campaign pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 to a conspiracy charge for inflating fundraising numbers.

“I must warn my colleagues that voting for expulsion at this point would circumvent the judicial system’s right to due process that I’m entitled to and desanctify the long-held premise that one is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Santos said ahead of the vote.

Expulsion of a lawmaker requires a vote by two-thirds of the chamber. Only five people have been expelled from the House in the country’s history, three for fighting against the U.S. government in the Civil War.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    This is why I keep telling people we can’t pass an Amendment to do things like change gun control.

    It starts with a 2/3rds majority in the House, 290 votes.

    We couldn’t get 290 votes to agree on Santos’ obvious crimimal behavior, we’ll NEVER get it on something like the 2nd Amendment, or Supreme Court term limits, or anything else remotely useful.

    • ExLisper@linux.community
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      1 year ago

      And even with simple majority there’s still stupid argument that ‘if we pass something without bipartisan support, the other party will just revert it when they’re in power’. No shit. That’s how democracy in every civilized country works. Only in US is this preventing the ruling party from doing any serious reforms. And obviously they know. It’s just that both parties are equally corrupt.

  • uphillbothways@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Democrats should make him the poster child Republican. The most honest shining member of the bunch who at least admits he’s blatantly lying. The one they all banded together to save. They deserve him.

    • ikidd@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      31 Democrats voted to keep him. 24 Republicans voted to boot him. It didn’t even make a simple majority, though that 62 vote swing would helped a bunch.

      • uphillbothways@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        So, he got more support than several of their own candidates for speaker. (I think. Can’t be bothered to look up the numbers. It’s all kinda pointless.)

        • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          They’re waiting for the official ethics board, or whatever, to make their ruling. It’s not so much that the Dems support Santos, as they do the rules and means of Congress

        • ikidd@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          You aren’t wrong and that’s pretty funny to think about.

          What a shitshow.

  • ApeNo1@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Who can talk the most lies (who can talk the most lies)

    Pretend they are a Jew (pretend they are a Jew)

    Cover up with sequins for a contest or two

    The Republican can (the Republican can)

    Oh, the Republican can (the Republican can)

    The Republican can 'cause he mixes it with lies

    And makes his world a falsehood (makes his world a falsehood)

    • creamed_eels@toast.ooo
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      1 year ago

      The republican fakes;

      obfuscates, opaque,

      always lying and pernicious

      Every statement is fictitious, you could even say malicious

  • mtdyson_01@lemmynsfw.com
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    1 year ago

    They will not expel him even if he is found guilty because they absolutely need his vote. He will be forced to vote however they want because if he doesn’t he will lose his job and the money and protection his job provides.

  • BeautifulMind ♾️@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    And just like that, a vote that should have been the simplest, most-straightforward choice with one outcome obviously preferable to its alternative, proved to be too much to ask