“The new whole number of the House is 434,” a downcast Johnson announced, confirming that his already paper-thin margin of Republican control had shrunk to three votes.
Santos walked out of the chamber before the vote was finished. Descending the House steps to a waiting car, Santos told reporters he was ready to turn the page on Congress.
“Why would I want to stay here?” he said. “To hell with this place.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York will have 10 days to announce the date of a special election to fill the vacancy left by Santos’ departure. The election must take place between 70 and 80 days after she sets the date. Local party leaders generally pick their nominees in special elections.
The Republican Party chair in Nassau County has been vetting possible candidates for months, while Democratic leaders have privately indicated that they would most likely put forward Tom Suozzi, who held the seat before Santos but relinquished it to run for governor.
Santos must still contend with the federal indictment in which prosecutors have accused him of multiple criminal schemes. In May, prosecutors charged him with wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, stealing public funds and lying on federal disclosure forms.
In October, prosecutors added more charges in a superseding indictment, accusing Santos of falsifying a $500,000 campaign loan, stealing the identities of donors to his campaign and using their credit card information to transfer money to his personal bank account.
Santos, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, is due back in court on December 12 and is scheduled to go to trial in September.
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
