House expels Rep. George Santos: Here’s how Arizona lawmakers voted

The House of Representatives voted on Friday to expel Rep. George Santos from Congress, a move that immediately stripped the New York Republican of his job title and made him just the sixth member ever to be ousted from the chamber.

The measure passed 311-114, with more than half of Republicans voting to keep Santos in office.

Santos had faced controversy since he won election to Congress, as revelations surfaced that he had lied or made misleading statements about his work experience, where he went to school, and having Jewish ancestry.

Last month, a bipartisan congressional investigation found that he used campaign funds for spa treatments, luxury retail purchases, and “smaller purchases” on OnlyFans, a subscription platform often used for sexual content. Santos also faces a federal indictment alleging that he lied about his campaign fundraising totals, charged donors’ credit cards without permission, and used campaign dollars for personal expenses.

Here’s how Arizona’s delegation voted.

Rep. David Schweikert, Republican

David Schweikert, R-Ariz., was one of two Arizona Republicans who voted in favor of expelling Santos.

Schweikert, along with Rep. Juan Ciscomani, are widely considered some of the country’s most electorally vulnerable sitting Republicans ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

Rep. Eli Crane, Republican

Eli Crane, R-Ariz., stuck with the majority of Republicans on the measure, voting against expelling Santos.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, Democrat

Like the vast majority of Democrats, Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., voted in favor of expelling Santos.

Rep. Greg Stanton, Democrat

Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., likewise voted with nearly all Democrats, voting for expelling Santos.

Rep. Andy Biggs, Republican

Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., voted against expelling Santos.

“What happened to the presumption of innocence principle?” Biggs wrote on social media following the vote. “The House just expelled a Member without a criminal conviction for the first time since the Civil War!

“We still don't know much about Mr. Santos, but his expulsion sets a dangerous precedent.”

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, Republican

Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., joined Schweikert to vote in favor of expelling Santos.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Democrat

Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., voted in favor of expelling Santos.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, Republican

Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., voted against expelling Santos.

“Just five times in U.S. history has the House of Representatives voted to expel one of its members—three members were ousted during the Civil War for siding with the Confederacy and two others were removed after they were found guilty of crimes,” Lesko wrote on social media following the vote.

“If Rep. Santos had been found guilty of the allegations against him by a court of law, I would have voted to expel him. Since he was not found guilty in a court of law, I voted no.”

Rep. Paul Gosar, Republican

Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., also voted against expelling Santos.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How Arizona lawmakers voted on Congressman George Santos' expulsion