AMNA NAWAZ: For the first time in more than two decades, Congress has expelled one of its own.

As congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins explains, Representative George Santos is out of a job.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The yeas are 311.

The nays are 114.

LISA DESJARDINS: The new speaker of the House announced the result solemnly.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON: The resolution is adopted.

LISA DESJARDINS: The first expulsion of a Republican from Congress, and more than 100 Republicans voted to do it.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON: The clerk will notify the governor of the state of New York.

LISA DESJARDINS: It was a historic turn of events.

FMR.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS (R-NY): This race is, for me, a personal race.

LISA DESJARDINS: Just last year, he was a little-known congressional candidate, running as a Trump supporter who embraced Long Island's diversity and was tough on crime.

ANNOUNCER: George Santos vows to tackle crime head on in our district.

LISA DESJARDINS: He won by seven points, but, within weeks, a local newspaper story of his misconduct went national.

Santos lied about graduating from college, about working for top New York financial firms, and even claims of being a Jew.

He downplayed what he did.

FMR.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS: Did I embellish my resume?

Yes, I did.

And I'm sorry.

I'm still the same guy.

I'm not a fraud.

I'm not a cartoon character.

LISA DESJARDINS: Calls for removal already hovered as he took the oath of office.

REP. DANIEL GOLDMAN (D-NY): George Santos needs to be held accountable for his lies.

LISA DESJARDINS: Including from fellow Republicans in New York.

JOSEPH CAIRO, Nassau County, New York, Republican Party Chairman: He's a disgrace to House of Representatives, and we do not consider him one of our congresspeople.

FMR.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS: I feel confident that I get to fight it and I have my day in court.

LISA DESJARDINS: Santos survived two previous efforts to expel him, as the House awaited an Ethics Committee report.

That came earlier this month.

CHAD PERGRAM, FOX News Congressional Correspondent: Bill, good morning.

It's pretty damning here.

DANA BASH, CNN Host: Substantial evidence that Congressman George Santos broke the law.

SCOTT MACFARLANE, CBS News: I have read a number of House Ethics Committee reports over the years.

This one is uniquely exhaustive, damning and scathing.

LISA DESJARDINS: In a 56-page investigative report, the committee better known for giving warnings was searing, writing: "Representative Santos sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own profit" and finding that Santos bilked donors, reported fake loans, stole money from his campaign, and that funds were spent on things that appeared personal, like at a casino, on an adult entertainment Web site and for Botox.

(CHANTING) LISA DESJARDINS: That came on top of the 23 felony counts he faces, including money laundering and wire fraud.

Some Republicans have increasingly demanded his expulsion.

REP. ANTHONY D'ESPOSITO (R-NY): It is in the best interest of the constituents of New York 3 and all Americans that he is expelled from the House of Representatives.

LISA DESJARDINS: Santos pleaded not guilty in court... FMR.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS: I'm going to keep fighting.

I'm going to keep fighting for what I believe in.

I'm going to keep fighting to represent my district.

LISA DESJARDINS: ... and in Congress maintained that he is the victim of a smear campaign who should be given time to defend himself.

FMR.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS: Mr. Speaker, efforts taken by other members in this body to act as judge, jury and executioner are unconscionable and reckless to our republican system of government.

I stand today to continue to prove my innocence.

LISA DESJARDINS: The idea of expelling a member before his day in court gave many pause.

REP.

TROY NEHLS (R-TX): Kicking out Mr. Santos is setting a very dangerous precedent.

Never before has Congress expelled a member based on indictments.

Indictments require nothing more than probable cause.

An indictment is not a conviction.

LISA DESJARDINS: But as evidence mounted, including former staffers admitting wrongdoing, so did votes against him.

Now Santos has bigger concerns.

QUESTION: Are you going to jail?

FMR.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS: Absolutely not.

LISA DESJARDINS: With a criminal trial set for next fall.

If convicted, the congressman, who spent less than a year representing New York, could face a prison term measured in decades.

AMNA NAWAZ: And Lisa joins us now with more on today's historic development.

Lisa, help us understand what this means for the congressman's seat and just for Congress more broadly.

LISA DESJARDINS: Republicans are nervous.

There is a chance in the special election to fill this seat that they could lose it, in fact.

So we're going to watch that very closely.

It's also interesting, history-wise.

One reason that we know this is historic, very -- this happens so seldom, the vote was close going into it, but it was another member of the Republican Party, Congressman Max Miller, who sent out an e-mail to his colleagues saying that he and his mother personally were victims of George Santos, that, when they gave money to the campaign, they were bilked out of -- ultimately lost some $30,000.

And that influenced Republicans' choice, I think, to get rid of him.

One other note, I think it's important to say, there was real divide among Republicans about this, as you heard in the piece.

And I think that divide may remain.

There was a little bit of bitterness here leaving, and some Republicans thinking this was an incredible mistake, others thinking it had to happen, so something to watch for in that Republican Conference.

AMNA NAWAZ: You will be following the impact of it all, another historic day on Capitol Hill.

Lisa Desjardins, thank you.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.