# Representative George Santos: Indictment and Prosecution (Expelled from Congress on Dec 1, 2023) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 10, 2023, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850 "2023-05-10T14:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 45
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/881 "2026-08-31T21:00:30Z")
[![](https://scontent-den2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/201821838_3680525045385120_2126268155954452732_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx1818x1557&ctp=s590x590&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=tXMPSZf648cQ7kNvwG-LMjv&_nc_oc=AdqgSFXwyHwUtNyDzpXCRlG0wZJLAhT1MraR3HB8fyA06jwVQ20yhiV4dy4n6JOFWSI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.xx&_nc_gid=2K8zXe9vdAP322svT6Ct9g&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=00_AQLnyEQlIddLqJo4l27EPtljHR7c2_ZbEKajA2crJZdd7w&oe=6ABD5F34) ](https://scontent-den2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/201821838_3680525045385120_2126268155954452732_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx1818x1557&ctp=s590x590&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=tXMPSZf648cQ7kNvwG-LMjv&_nc_oc=AdqgSFXwyHwUtNyDzpXCRlG0wZJLAhT1MraR3HB8fyA06jwVQ20yhiV4dy4n6JOFWSI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.xx&_nc_gid=2K8zXe9vdAP322svT6Ct9g&_nc_ss=7b289&oh=00_AQLnyEQlIddLqJo4l27EPtljHR7c2_ZbEKajA2crJZdd7w&oe=6ABD5F34) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/882 "2026-09-01T02:24:27Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gO0jiJw7GaY/maxresdefault.jpg "Oh, THERE'S a big surprise! I think I’m gonna have a heart attack and die from that surprise.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO0jiJw7GaY) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/883 "2026-09-01T02:38:27Z")
You do have to wonder about the mental capacity of someone who would bet that a person would do something entirely within the control of that person (and when not doing it would have no signifcant cost to that person) without knowing whether they were betting against that person. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/884 "2026-09-01T02:56:56Z")
So many people go into any form of gambling (which is fully what I consider prediction markets to be) believing that they have a gimmick or system that’s going to work. Or the naive belief that everyone is going to play fair, despite generations of scandals where people have proven they will NOT given enough motivation (gambling addicted players, coaches, etc.). And that’s leaving out all the people that look at Trump’s commutation and Santo’s statements about “thanking Jesus” for saving him upthread as “proving” he’s not the crook he was proven to be. As for _Santos’_ critical thinking abilities, I’m pretty sure we can point to _everything_ about his career to confirm that it’s something he discarded early on for anything more complicated other than “Good thing I’ll never get caught!”. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/885 "2026-09-01T03:05:14Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Or the naive belief that everyone is going to play fair, despite generations of scandals where people have proven they will NOT given enough motivation (gambling addicted players, coaches, etc.). At least players and coaches have _some_ significant motifivation not to throw games (albeit not always enough). Santos not turning up to the SotU was never going to cost him anything. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/886 "2026-09-01T03:31:27Z")
True, Santos, in this like many other things, is an extreme case. And I’m not excusing their foolishness, but I can see it happening without needing to fall upon “mental capacity” issues. Blind faith in the system, information silos about his _actual_ crimes rather than claims of victimhood, or the usual “Trump says he’s good, so…”. Just the usual ream of human self-delusion, or at least, the usual-for-Trump-era levels of blind belief that if Trump xits/twuths, it must be so. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/887 "2026-09-01T04:18:22Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > “mental capacity” I don’t mean that in any formal legal or medical sense. I was just meaning “a bit stupid”. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/888 "2026-09-01T04:42:34Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > You do have to wonder about the mental capacity of someone who would bet that a person would do something entirely within the control of that person (and when not doing it would have no signifcant cost to that person) without knowing whether they were betting against that person. They thought he was letting them on his racket and didn’t realize they were the marks. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/889 "2026-09-01T04:55:38Z")
Quoting from _[The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity](https://ia801609.us.archive.org/29/items/kaufman-s-clinical-neurology-for-psychiatrists-pdfdrive/The%20Basic%20Laws%20of%20Human%20Stupidity%20%28Carlo%20M.%20Cipolla%29%20%28Z-Library%29.pdf)_ [PDF warning] > Law #1: Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in > circulation. > • > Law #2: The probability that a certain person be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that > person. > • > Law #3: A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while > himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses. > • > Law #4: Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In > particular non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances > to deal and/or associate with stupid people infallibly turns out to be a costly mistake. > • > Law #5: A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person. A stupid person is more dangerous than > a bandit. I’m certainly not one of the bright lights of this board, being barely middling, but these laws come to mind when I’m out there in the world. I’ll admit to arrogance and confirmation bias, but even in these later days, the SDMB has quite a few well educated and well trained debaters, far and above the median in almost all respects. And even _then_ some of us (I’ll include myself from time to time to be sure!) use that same intellect to convince myself I’m right, when I **should** be pondering how I’m wrong instead. The sort of people who fall for Santos and Trump probably never let that self-doubt take hold in their minds. Or rather, they _can’t_ - because if they ever considered it, they might have to realize how thoroughly they’ve been had. Stupid isn’t just uneducated, or lower processing power, it’s the failure to consider things from a rational POV, rather than what _feels_ good. Which is why we see so many faces eaten. They find one thing that makes them feel good/in control and tune out the rest even if it’s right in front of them. Again, Santos is an extreme case - as is Trump. For whatever reason, Trump is better at selling that sizzle, and fits the image of what a “strong” leader is for far too many people who don’t want to think about problems, just that someone _else_ will fix it for them. Santos though doesn’t impress _anyone_, and his grifts are more embarrassing than anything else. He got away with as much as he did from apathy and the support of MAGA giving out covering fire and being ONLY concerned with their thin margins over all else… until it had people _laughing_ at MAGA, and that’s something they can’t tolerate. The fact that Santos is reduced to these petty little actions shows how much he’s been tossed aside. $17k is peanuts compared to what those just a little less foolish have managed by clinging to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/890 "2026-09-01T07:16:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > They thought he was letting them on his racket and didn’t realize they were the marks. So they bet he would do what he openly said he would do, the odds of which Kalshi put at 75%, and they somehow thought that constituted letting him in on his racket? I thought a “racket” in betting consisted of conspiring to achieve an _unexpected_ result, such that one can take advantage of long odds in its favour. And being let in on that racket is being told that the unexpected result is going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/891 "2026-09-01T12:28:33Z")
“I thought the Generals were due!” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/892 "2026-09-01T13:44:32Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Quoting from _[The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity](https://ia801609.us.archive.org/29/items/kaufman-s-clinical-neurology-for-psychiatrists-pdfdrive/The%20Basic%20Laws%20of%20Human%20Stupidity%20%28Carlo%20M.%20Cipolla%29%20%28Z-Library%29.pdf)_ [PDF warning] And of course stupid people always assume they are non-stupid people. Or, to quote Ricky Gervais: > [@](#): > > Remember: when you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It is only painful for others. The same applies when you are stupid. I’m not sure whether Santos or the people who believed him were more stupid in this instance, but there’s plenty of pain to go around. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/893 "2026-09-01T14:13:01Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Or the naive belief that everyone is going to play fair, despite generations of scandals where people have proven they will NOT given enough motivation In these cases like Santos, that everyone _ **else** _ is going to play fair and assume you will too, and you’ll get one over them. More seriously though, I’m sorry but one would think betting on _yourself_ over an outcome you can produce or not at will, should be out of the question to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/894 "2026-09-01T14:59:47Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > So they bet he would do what he openly said he would do, the odds of which Kalshi put at 75%, and they somehow thought that constituted letting him in on his racket? But no else would _know_ that he said he was attending. It was only the few brilliant people who read his tweet, so they totally have the inside line to secret info. And if the odds of something happening are 100% and the line is only 75%, that’s like printing money. It’s easy to delude yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/895 "2026-09-01T15:03:18Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > More seriously though, I’m sorry but one would think betting on _yourself_ over an outcome you can produce or not at will, should be out of the question to begin with. I’m not really sure how this particular incident is supposed to make _Santos_ look bad. It just reveals the profound stupidity of people who participate in “Kalshi”, both as bettors and as management. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/896 "2026-09-01T15:12:57Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > I’m not really sure how this particular incident is supposed to make _Santos_ look bad. Really? He told people he was going to be at the SOTU, so they would bet that he would be there. Then, he bet that he wouldn’t be there, and in fact did not show up, so he could collect the money that the suckers had wagered. And you think that is acceptable behavior? I’d consider it lowlife, sleazeball, and crooked. But YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/897 "2026-09-01T15:14:16Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > It just reveals the profound stupidity of people who participate in “Kalshi”, both as bettors and as management. This. It’s why Santos got a lifetime ban, because it’s a huge problem for the gambling platforms. Not just Kalshi. > [@Railer13](#): > > And you think that is acceptable behavior? I’d consider it lowlife, sleazeball, and crooked. Exactly, and Kalshi showed how vulnerable they are to that sort of scam. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/898 "2026-09-01T15:18:09Z")
I had some fun reading that, but I’m surprised it didn’t refer to [past work on the subject of stupdity.](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8616320-stupidity-is-a-more-dangerous-enemy-of-the-good-than) There’s a little more of where that came from at: > **[BONHOEFFER: On stupidity](https://nsjonline.com/article/2021/12/bonhoeffer-on-stupidity/)** > > Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in... ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/899 "2026-09-01T15:31:34Z")
All Santos really has to do is cuddle up to the Trumps and he’ll be ok again. Don Jr. has invested heavily in both Kalshi AND Polymarket. “ **Advisory Role and Equity:** Donald Trump Jr. joined Kalshi as a marketing adviser, receiving upwards of $300,000 in company shares that have since grown significantly in value.” He’s also an advisor to Polymarket of course. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850/900 "2026-09-01T15:31:54Z")
And there’s always Friedrich Schiller: > [@](#): > > Folly, thou conquerest, and I must yield! > Against stupidity the very gods > Themselves contend in vain. Exalted reason, > Resplendent daughter of the head divine, > Wise foundress of the system of the world, > Guide of the stars, who art thou then if thou, > Bound to the tail of folly’s uncurbed steed, > Must, vainly shrieking with the drunken crowd, > Eyes open, plunge down headlong in the abyss. > Accursed, who striveth after noble ends, > And with deliberate wisdom forms his plans! > To the fool-king belongs the world. > > (_The Maid of Orleans_ — 1801) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/representative-george-santos-indictment-and-prosecution-expelled-from-congress-on-dec-1-2023/983850.md?page=44)