ZWF: One of six Congressmen in history to be expelled
Zander's Weekend Facts #95: Sunday, December 3, 2023
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, George Santos is out of Congress, chaos has consumed College Football, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 124 features a preview of College Football’s rivalry week, along with analysis of the various scenarios that could impact this season’s College Football Playoff. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, December 3, 2023:
George Santos removed from Congress
Just six individuals in the history of the United States of America have been expelled from Congress. George Santos is now one of them.
On Friday, the House of Representatives took the rare step of voting to expel one of its own members, a move that’s only been successful five times before.
In 1861, at the onset of the Civil War, three Democratic representatives - Henry Burnett of Kentucky, John Clark of Missouri, and John Reid of Missouri - were removed by the House after supporting the Confederacy.
In 1980, Democratic Rep. Michael Myers from Pennsylvania was expelled after he was convicted of bribery. Then in 2002, Rep. James Traficant, a Democraft from Ohio, was expelled after he was convicted of bribery, corruption, racketeering, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Only one House member voted against removed Traficant, the most lopsided of the expulsion votes.
And now we get to Friday, December 1, 2023. The House voted 311-114 to remove Santos, the first time in over 20 years a member of Congress was removed by vote. Santos is also the first Republican to be expelled from Congress.
So, why is Santos no longer in Congress? And why did 105 of his fellow Republicans vote to get rid of him?
Where do we start? Even before Santos had been sworn into Congress back in January, he was found by The New York Times of lying about his past, including where he went to college, where he had worked, and fabricating information on his financial statements. Among Santos’ notable lies was the claim that he was Jewish. In defending that claim, he said that he meant that he was “jew-ish.”
Investigations by both state and local prosecutors began in December of last year and eventually stretched far beyond even the United States. Prosecutors in Brazil opened an investigation into Santos regarding his use of a stolen checkbook back in 2008. Eventually, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Santos in March, covering alleged “unlawful activity” regarding his 2022 election campaign, an accusation of sexual misconduct, and allegations of providing false information and statements to Congress.
Then in May, federal prosecutors filed 13 charges against Santos, including wire fraud, lying to the House of Representatives, theft of public funds, and money laundering. Santos pled not guilty to all of the charges. Calls for his removal from Congress then began to grow.
Another 23-count indictment came in October, with Santos accused of stealing his donors’ identities and using their credit card information.
At this point, enough is enough for some House members, who force an expulsion vote to the floor on November 1, even while the House Ethics investigation remains ongoing. But it fails, with only 179 votes in favor of expulsion when two-thirds of the 435 member chamber are needed. Many members, including Democrats, cite the House’s own investigation needing to play out before they can vote to expel.
That comes on November 16, when the House Ethics Committee’s subcommittee charged with investigating Santos released its report that found Santos had engaged in campaign fraud and theft. The reported noted that Santos “blatantly stole from his campaign” and “sought to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy for his own personal financial profit.”
From the report: “Representative George Santos cannot be trusted. At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles.”
Even while Santos immediately came out and said he would not run for reelection in 2024, the writing was on the wall. Members of his own party, many who previously had supported him, had begun to back away.
But it wasn’t even a guarantee that Friday’s vote would succeed. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other top Republicans came out in opposition to the move and said they would vote to keep Santos in the House. Their failure to sway their fellow conference members underscores once again the divides facing the Republican Party not just in the current Congress, but in the party as a whole.
Ultimately, New York’s 3rd congressional district is now open, with a special election expected to be held early next week. And with the district voting for President Joe Biden and Democrats by eight points in 2020, and then switching to Republicans by the same margin two years later, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will win the seat.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from CBS News - Why was George Santos expelled from the House? Here are the charges and allegations against him
College Football Playoff Chaos
College football’s conference championship weekend certainly gave the College Football Playoff Selection Committee a headache in terms of selecting the four teams who will make this year’s College Football Playoff.
The committee’s final rankings of the season, the ones that will decide who is in the final four, will be unveiled during the selection show later today beginning at noon et on ESPN. (If you’re reading this later on Sunday or during the week, then you’ve probably already seen who the four teams selected were.)
Coming into the weekend, the path towards little to no chaos was quite clear: #1 Georgia beats #8 Alabama to secure a spot, #2 Michigan beats #16 Iowa to get in, the winner of #3 Washington-#5 Oregon is in, and #4 Florida State takes down #14 Louisville to finish the season undefeated.
While most of those outcomes occurred, not all of those events transpired.
In Friday night’s Pac-12 Championship, #3 Washington beat #5 Oregon by three points for the second time this season, securing their spot in the Playoff as an undefeated conference champion.
Then on Saturday, #7 Texas took care of the business they needed to in the Big 12 Championship by beating up #18 Oklahoma State 49-21. But to get into the Playoff, they would need some help.
They might have gotten it in the SEC Championship, where #8 Alabama pulled off the upset of the weekend and beat #1 Georgia 27-24. Georgia’s 29-game win streak comes to an end, and their reign of National Championships might end as well with two straight.
Then two expected results transpired in the evening, with #2 Michigan shutting out #16 Iowa 26-0 in the Big Ten Championship, and #4 Florida State holding on in the ACC Championship to beat #14 Louisville 16-6.
But where does that leave us on Sunday morning, just hours before the committee is set to unveil their final rankings before the CFP is played.
The teams with a legitimate shot at a spot in the four-team Playoff? Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Florida State, Ohio State, Texas, and Alabama.
If only the 12-team Playoff was starting this year instead of in 2024, all of these teams and more would have a spot. But unfortunately, that is not the case. There will be some extremely sad faces when the four who are in get picked.
So to explain it all, I’ve decided to group those seven teams into three tiers that may or may not make any sense:
Automatically In The Playoff
Michigan (Big Ten - 13-0)
By beating Ohio State, the Wolverines were likely already in after finishing the regular season undefeated. Their shutout of Iowa to win the Big Ten Championship not only solidifies them a spot, but also likely their first #1 overall seed in the CFP era.
Washington (Pac-12 - 13-0)
Even while being almost 10-point underdogs in their rematch against Oregon, the Huskies showed they are the best out West. After beating five ranked teams in the conference, Washington officially solidified their spot in the Playoff with their second win this season over Oregon.
The Conference Champions
Alabama (SEC - 12-1)
Alabama now has the best win of any team in FBS all season. The Crimson Tide beat top seed Georgia, who hadn’t lost since the 2021 SEC Championship (also against Alabama), and have now caused massive headaches within the selection committee’s headquarters in Grapevine, Texas. In a normal year, Saturday’s win gets a one-loss Alabama team in the CFP, except for the fact that the only team they lossed to this year, Texas, is currently ranked ahead of them.
Florida State (ACC - 13-0)
Florida State is an undefeated Power Five conference champion, so why are they not in the first tier? Florida State’s quarterback and star of the team Jordan Travis is out for the remainder of the season with an injury. The Seminoles also scored just 13 points in their ACC title win over Louisville. Because many are putting FSU outside of their top four, they can’t be slotted in as an automatic team.
Texas (Big 12 - 12-1)
Texas took care of business by routing Oklahoma State by 28 points. They then needed chaos to take place ahead of them, and that’s what happened. Florida State losing would have been the best case scenario, but the Longhorns got their second-best wish by Alabama beating Georgia. Now it’s up to the Committee. Do you take Georgia, Alabama, Texas? There might only be room for one of them.
The Other Two Contenders
Georgia (SEC - 12-1)
Teams who have lost their conference championship have gotten into the Playoff before. Just ask TCU from last season and even Georgia from the year before. But the Bulldogs may have picked the worst year to lose the SEC title game. Georgia’s regular season included wins over four ranked teams, including a 35-point beatdown of then-#9 Ole Miss. They’ve also won two straight National Championships. But they just lost to one-loss Alabama. So they’d probably have to be ranked behind the Crimson Tide, right?
Ohio State (Big Ten - 11-1)
The only team here who didn’t play in their conference championship. But they didn’t last year either, and still made the Playoff. By putting the Buckeyes at #6 last week ahead of Texas and Alabama, the Committee left the debate open that even with Texas and Alabama winning their conference championships, Ohio State could still be ahead of them at the end of the day.
So without further ado, here’s what I think the College Football Playoff rankings should be:
Zander’s final rankings: (you’re welcome, America)
1. MICHIGAN
Self-explanatory
2. WASHINGTON
Self-explanatory
3. FLORIDA STATE
An undefeated Power Five conference champion has never missed out on the Playoff. Why start now? Many are questioning whether Florida State should be in because they are in the ACC (likely the weakest of the P5 conferences) and because the quarterback who led them through most of the season, Jordan Travis, is injured for the remainder of the season. Injuries to key players have not swayed the Committee before (2014 Ohio State) and FSU also has major wins over SEC teams #13 LSU and Florida away from home. Florida State beat everyone on their schedule, while some other teams around them did not. That should mean they make the Playoff.
4. TEXAS
It’s the ultimate conundrum the committee will deal with. What matters more? A head-to-head win at the beginning of the season or the best win of the season for anybody right at the end. To me, you have to put Texas ahead of Alabama. Texas went to Tuscaloosa in Week 2 and beat Alabama by ten points. You rarely have the opportunity in college football to look at a head-to-head matchup between teams you’ll likely rank right next to each other. You have that situation right here, and it puts UT on top. Also, Florida State is undefeated and Texas is not. That’s why the Seminoles are three and the Longhorns are four.
5. ALABAMA
I wouldn’t be shocked if Alabama got in, but they don’t deserve to take a spot from Florida State or Texas. Yes, Alabama just had the best win of the season, but to make the Playoff, they’d have to jump Texas (unless they pass Florida State). If the Committee puts them ahead of Texas, they’re saying the regular season no longer matters, and that’s a precedent they do not want to set. Even though Alabama has absolutely progressed and gotten better throughout the season, you can’t say that a Texas team who has beaten their last two opponents combined by 78 points hasn’t gotten better as well. (Also, SEC fans, get over yourself.)
6. GEORGIA
Head-to-head has to matter (even if not as much as having the best win), and so that’s why Georgia has to go behind Alabama, meaning their out of the Playoff. But could this Georgia team win the National Championship? Absolutely, which is why expanding to 12 teams next year is the right move.
7. OHIO STATE
The surrounding field was definitely not as strong last year as it is this year, meaning Ohio State’s loss to Michigan keeps them out of the Playoff. The only way they probably could’ve gotten in was if Georgia won while Florida State and Texas lost, and neither of those happened. Luckily for the Buckeyes, the Big Ten is moving to no divisions next year, meaning a loss to Michigan could still get OSU in the Big Ten Championship.
At least there’ll be 12 spots next year.
To get more information on the latest college football news, check out this article from ESPN - College football Champ Week highlights: Top plays, games, takeaways
What Zander’s been reading
There are only a couple of television studio shows in sports that can consider themselves among the best, but ESPN’s College GameDay is one of them. And this season, college football’s preeminent pregame show is celebrating thirty years since it first made the trip to a college campus.
Check out this week’s featured article at The Ringer - “Not So Fast”: The Oral History of ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Week 13: An electric back-and-forth battle kicked off the NFL’s week 13 slate on Thursday night, as the Cowboys came back to beat the Seahawks at home 41-35. Switching gears to today’s action, the 1:00 pm et window is highlighted by the Broncos taking on the Texans, the Commanders hosting the Dolphins, and the Lions visiting the Saints. At 4:00 pm et, the Panthers take on the Broncos, the the Rams host the Browns, and the 8-3 49ers match up with the 10-1 Eagles in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game. At 8:20 pm et, the 8-3 Chiefs travel to Green Bay to take on the 5-6 Packers on Sunday Night Football. Meanwhile on Monday night, the 8-3 Jaguars will host the 5-6 Bengals.
NBA In-Season Tournament: Group Play of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament has wrapped up, setting the stage for this week’s Knockout Rounds. The Quarterfinals will take place on Monday and Tuesday, with the winners of those matchups advancing to Thursday’s Semifinals. The Semifinal games and Saturday’s Final will take place in Las Vegas. The Quarterfinal matchups are Celtics-Pacers and Knicks-Bucks in the East, with Pelicans-Kings and Suns-Lakers out in the West. The winners of each conference will face off in the Championship, set to tip-off on Saturday at 8:30 pm et on ABC.
MLS Cup Playoffs: The final match of the 2023 MLS season, MLS Cup, is all set. The Columbus Crew, who beat in-state rival FC Cincinnati 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final, will take on LAFC after they took down Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 in the Western Conference Final. The Crew previously won MLS Cup in 2008 and 2020, while LAFC are defending MLS Cup champions after claiming the title for the first time last season. Both clubs were the third seed in their respective conferences coming into the postseason. MLS Cup 2023 will take place in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday at 4:00 pm et. The match can be watched on Fox and for free on Apple TV.
Dallas Mavericks Sale: Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, is reportedly selling part of his stake in the franchise to the Adelson family. The Adelson’s, led by Miriam Adelson, are owners of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, a casino and resort company. Cuban will retain a stake in the team, although the Adelson family will likely become the majority owners. However, in a unique circumstance, Cuban is set to stay on as the team’s governor and would remain in control of all basketball operations. The NBA’s Board of Governors would need to approve the sale, a process that usually lasts a few weeks.
Sports Illustrated: Acclaimed sports magazine Sports Illustrated and its parent company, Arena Group, are under fire after a report accusing the publication of posting articles that were written by AI and given fake authors. As first reported by Futurism, SI used AI-generated headshots for profile pictures of these fake authors and subsequently took them down after being questioned for the report. Arena Group responded to the report on Monday by noting that the articles in question were written by individuals for AdVon Commerce, a third-party company that had been hired to create e-commerce content for SI. However, Arena Group conceded that the authors’ names and bios were AI-generated.
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Israel-Hamas Conflict: Fighting resumed in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups on Friday after a weeklong ceasefire ended. The ceasefire resulted in Israel releasing 300 Palestinian prisoners and Hamas freeing over 100 hostages. However, after the ceasefire’s collapse, Gaza’s health ministry reported that over 175 people had been killed by Israeli strikes. The United Nations has declared a humanitarian crisis in Gaza as nearly two-thirds of the 2.3 million residents are now homeless. Qatar, who mediated the ceasefire along with the United States, says efforts to renew the truce are underway.
COP28 Climate Summit: The United Nations began its annual Climate Change Conference, known this year as COP28, in Dubai last week. While at the summit, the Biden administration, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, unveiled new rules in an effort to crack down on methane emissions. The policies, which would target the oil and gas industry, are expected to cut methane emissions by nearly 80% by 2038 compared to if the rules were not in place. Also during the summit, 50 oil and gas companies including BP, ExxonMobil, and Shell, agreed to reduce their methane emissions to “near zero” by 2030. The summit is expected to last through December 12.
Trump Election Trial: A federal judge denied two motions from former President Donald Trump’s legal team to dismiss his election interference case. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkun ruled that the federal indictment of Trump does not violate the First Amendment, while also disagreeing with the Trump team’s argument that presidents have absolute immunity for acts taken within their official responsibilities unless the Senate convicts them. The rulings can be appealed. The trial for this case, set in Washington, D.C., is set to begin in March.
U.S. Life Expectancy: After suffering a stark decline over the last few years, U.S. life expectancy began to rebound in 2022. Average life expectancy in the U.S. last year was 77.5 years old, 1.1 years higher than the previous year, but also on par with 2003 data. The increase from 2021 to 2022 represents only about half of the decline experienced between 2019 and 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While COVID-19 deaths declined in 2022, there were increases in mortality from the flu, birth problems, malnutrition, and kidney disease. U.S. life expectancy hit its highest point at 78.9 years in 2014.
Montana TikTok Ban: In May, Montana passed a first-of-its-kind ban on TikTok being used in the state. However, a federal judge blocked the ban from taking effect on Thursday. The ban would have gone into effect on January 1. Federal judge Donald Malloy wrote that the bill “oversteps state power and infringes on the Constitutional rights of users and businesses.” Critics of TikTok have said that the app, owned by China-based ByteDance, poses major privacy risks for user data. Advocates against the app’s ban said that it restricted free speech. The block could be lifted later on as the case moves forward.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, December 10, 2023.
