Expelled former Rep. George Santos, R.N.Y., is back at the U.S. Capitol Thursday night to witness President Biden's State of the Union address.
Santos told reporters it was his first time back in the building since he was kicked out of the House late last year along bipartisan lines, and 105 of his fellow Republicans joined Democrats in voting for him.
He said he came to see the prime-time speech and noted that as a former member, he still retains privileges that include entry to the House floor when the body is in session.
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Ousted Republican Rep. George Santos (C) of New York speaks with U.S. Reps. Al Green (D-TX) (L) and Joe Negus (D-CO) before President Joe's annual State of the Union address Biden during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber in the Capital Building on March 7, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)
“I was visiting with some of my colleagues in a very bipartisan way,” Santos said.
He said it felt “different” to be back in the building and did not rule out returning in the future.
Santos also did not rule out running for office again, despite the pending federal indictments.
“I'm not ruling out my desire to run for office right now, but right now… I'm a spectator and I'm just watching,” he said.
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Former U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) (L) sits with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) at U.S. President Joe Biden's State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House the House of Representatives at the United States Capitol on March 7, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A former member of New York's congressional delegation, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., sharply criticized Santos for his appearance and called for him to lose his House privileges.
“Expelled Congressman George Santos is disgracing the House with his presence. He should be expelled from the House,” Torres wrote in X.
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The former Republican congressman from New York was ousted in the wake of a damning House Ethics Committee report that found he had misappropriated campaign funds on luxury goods and Onlyfans, among other things.
Santos has not been convicted of any crimes, but has been charged with multiple counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsifying records, credit card fraud and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Ousted Republican Rep. George Santos (L) of New York chats with U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) before President Joe Biden's annual State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives in the capital. building on March 7, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)
His ouster in a 311-114 vote reduced Republicans' already dangerously slim majority in the House of Representatives.
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Expelling a member of Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote. The last time a House lawmaker was expelled was more than two decades ago, when the late former Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was expelled from Congress in 2002.
Before his dismissal, Traficant had been convicted of 10 felonies, including extortion and accepting bribes.
