WASHINGTON — The House is expected to vote this week on whether to expel embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress. If he is removed from office, he would be just the sixth House lawmaker to ever be ousted from his post.
The House Ethics Committee released a scathing report earlier this month that alleged Santos “blatantly stole from his own campaign,” deceived donors into making payments for his own benefit and violated federal criminal laws.
Multiple lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have filed what are known as privileged resolutions to force a vote on the House floor this week. A privileged resolution is a procedural move to make the House take up a measure within two legislative days.
If two-thirds of House members vote yes, Santos is out of a job. But he isn’t alone in his predicament. Here’s a look at the five House members who have been expelled throughout American history.
Civil War expulsions
Three members of the House were expelled in 1861 for their disloyalty to the union as the nation faced the Civil War: John Bullock Clark and John William Reid of Missouri and Henry Cornelius Burnett of Kentucky.
Clark served as the brigadier general of Missouri Confederate state troops. Reid served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War as volunteer aide to General Sterling Price. Burnett served as a colonel in the Kentucky infantry in the Confederate Army.
Rep. Michael “Ozzie” Myers ousted after Abscam operation
Rep. Michael “Ozzie” Myers, D-Pa., was ousted from the House in 1980 by an overwhelming vote of 370-30. The move came after he was caught taking bribes in the Abscam sting operation.
The operation consisted of FBI officials posing as Middle Eastern businessmen and offering money to government officials in exchange for political favors, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The goal of the mission was to trap corrupt public officials.
Myers was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking $50,000 from an undercover agent. He was also sentenced to 30 months in prison last year for election fraud after he pleaded guilty to charges tied to fraudulently stuffing ballot boxes for Democrats.
Rep. James Traficant removed over corruption
Traficant was expelled from Congress in 2002 by a vote of 420-1 following his conviction by a federal jury on 10 corruption-related counts, including bribery, racketeering and tax evasion charges, according to the Associated Press.
Among other accusations, prosecutors alleged he used his office to extract bribes from businesspeople and forced staffers to work on his farm and his house boat on the Potomac River in Washington. After he was expelled, Traficant ran as an independent candidate for another House term while incarcerated.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who has been expelled from Congress? George Santos could join group