Editor's Note: The House voted to expel Republican Rep. George Santos of New York on Friday, Dec. 1, after a critical ethics report on his conduct accused him of converting campaign donations for his own use. This makes Santos the sixth House member in history to be expelled by his colleagues.
Expulsion requires support from two-thirds of the House. The vote to expel was 311-114. The original story appears as published below:
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) – the subject of ethics investigations, criminal charges, and a failed expulsion vote – announced on Nov. 16 he will not seek reelection.
Since his election to Congress in 2022, Santos has garnered national attention due to numerous and varied accusations of fraud. Despite calls for him to resign, including from fellow Republicans in New York, Santos remained in office, though he stepped down from his committee assignments.
Several VERIFY viewers wanted to know if Santos will still qualify for congressional retirement benefits, such as a pension and healthcare, if he leaves office after this term.
THE QUESTION
Will George Santos be eligible for congressional retirement benefits?
THE SOURCES
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Congressional Research Service
Rep. Santos announcement that he is not seeking reelection
THE ANSWER
No, George Santos will not be eligible for congressional retirement benefits.
WHAT WE FOUND
Congress has set rules to be eligible for retirement benefits. Here's what they are.
Pension
Members of Congress are eligible for a pension when they leave office only if they have served for at least five years. And they must be at least 62 years old to begin receiving payments, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Those payments are calculated depending on age and years of service.
Santos has said that he will not run for reelection, which means he will have served only two years in Congress. That’s not long enough to qualify for a pension.
Health insurance
Members of Congress can receive employer contributions to their health insurance plans from the federal government while in office. Some are eligible to stay on those plans and keep receiving contributions when they retire.
To be eligible when they leave office, members must meet the same qualifications for receiving a pension. Since Santos does not meet the age or service requirements for a pension, he is not eligible to retain his health insurance plan.
Expulsion
VERIFY viewers Will and Gloria also wanted to know whether a potential expulsion could affect Santos’ ability to retain benefits. Santos has already survived one vote to remove him from Congress, but may soon face another.
At present, there is no law revoking benefits following expulsion. A bill to do so was introduced in 2002 but never progressed. In Santos’s case, however, it’s a moot point because he hasn’t met the service requirements to retain benefits.
There are laws that could revoke retirement benefits from members who are convicted of certain crimes – though again Santos has no such benefits to revoke.
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