The Astonishing Downfall: A Definitive Timeline of George Santos's Fabricated Rise and Dramatic Ouster

In a political career that captivated and often bewildered the nation, George Santos emerged from relative obscurity to become one of the most controversial figures in modern American politics. His journey, marked by audacious fabrications and a cascade of legal woes, culminated in an unprecedented expulsion from the U.S.

House of Representatives. This is the definitive timeline of how a seemingly ordinary campaign spiraled into a saga of deception and dramatic downfall.

Santos, a Republican, first ran for Congress in New York's 3rd district in 2020, losing to incumbent Tom Suozzi. It was his successful 2022 campaign, however, that truly set the stage for the whirlwind that followed.

Voters in the district, spanning parts of Long Island and Queens, elected him to the House, seemingly swayed by his compelling personal narrative – a story of success on Wall Street, a degree from Baruch College, family ties to the Holocaust, and even claims of surviving an alleged assassination attempt.

The cracks in this carefully constructed façade began to appear shortly after his election.

A groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times, published in December 2022, meticulously exposed numerous inconsistencies and outright lies in Santos's background. His claims of working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup were debunked, his Baruch College degree was nonexistent, and his charity, which he asserted was tax-exempt, could not be verified.

The revelations quickly snowballed, revealing a pattern of profound dishonesty that touched almost every aspect of his public persona, from his financial disclosures to his personal life and family history.

Despite the growing chorus of calls for his resignation from both sides of the aisle, Santos was sworn into the 118th Congress in January 2023.

He defiantly dismissed the allegations, often attempting to deflect or minimize the severity of his deceptions. However, the legal and ethical pressure continued to mount. In May 2023, a federal indictment unsealed 13 charges against him, including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

Prosecutors alleged that Santos had defrauded donors, illegally received unemployment benefits, and lied on congressional financial disclosure forms.

The investigations intensified, with the House Ethics Committee launching its own probe. As more details emerged, including allegations of campaign finance violations and even pet-related charity scams, Santos found himself increasingly isolated.

His own party, initially hesitant to act, began to distance itself. A second indictment in October 2023 added 10 more charges, bringing the total to 23, including conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, aggravated identity theft, and further campaign finance fraud. These charges painted a picture of a politician who not only misled the public but also allegedly engaged in systemic criminal activity to fund his lifestyle and political ambitions.

The culmination of this extraordinary saga arrived in December 2023.

After two previous attempts failed, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to expel George Santos, making him only the sixth member in history, and the first in over two decades, to be removed by his peers without being convicted of a crime or having served the Confederacy. The bipartisan vote reflected a widespread condemnation of his conduct, concluding that his pervasive dishonesty and alleged criminal behavior rendered him unfit to serve.

Santos's expulsion marked the ignominious end of a brief, turbulent, and historically unique congressional career.

His timeline stands as a stark reminder of the importance of truth and accountability in public service, leaving behind a legacy of scandal, disbelief, and a profound questioning of the vetting processes within American politics.