Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker who presented unproven accusations

[NuffSaid]

It seems that Arizona state legislature has had enough of the crack pots in office. And boy, this crackpot is crazy.
I'm glad to head that Arizona legislature is reducing the level of crazy noise so it can go back to actually serving the public.
Of course it'll be interesting to see those who cheered or dissed the booting of two black members of Tennessee's legislature for disrupting proceedings and how they view this.

**********

Rep. Liz Harris, a prominent supporter of discredited election conspiracies, was kicked out of the Legislature in a bipartisan vote after the presentation by an Arizona insurance agent.

She made a bunch of unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of politicians, judges and public officials of both parties took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

All Democrats and about half of Republicans voted to expel Harris in a 46-13 vote.

edit to add:
By law, Harris must be replaced by a Republican. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will choose from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican precinct committeemen in her district.

Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker who presented unproven accusations

The Arizona House of Representatives has expelled a Republican lawmaker who organized a presentation by someone who made unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of public officials took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

www.pbs.org

 

[ElChupacabra]

I'm not keen on expelling politicians unless it is something really egregious, though this lean more in that "behavior unbecoming" territory than what they pulled in Tennessee. Of importance is not making a clown show out of the expulsion process, because to allow a political body to remove a representative of the people for arbitrary reasons further erodes the trust people have in the political system.

 

[NuffSaid]

I'm not keen on expelling politicians unless it is something really egregious, though this lean more in that "behavior unbecoming" territory than what they pulled in Tennessee. Of importance is not making a clown show out of the expulsion process, because to allow a political body to remove a representative of the people for arbitrary reasons further erodes the trust people have in the political system.

I am in agreeance with you.
There's a reason why people SHOULD be expelled. I don't think this rises to that level.

 

[Lycanthrope]

"The committee’s report said Harris knew the person she invited to a legislative hearing in February would accuse her colleagues of criminal activity, that she took steps to hide it from House leaders ahead of time and then misled the committee investigating her actions."

Unlike TN this had bipartisan support. She sounds like a genuine nutbag who contributed little that wasn't negative or disruptive.

 

[Bok Tuklo]

It seems that Arizona state legislature has had enough of the crack pots in office. And boy, this crackpot is crazy.
I'm glad to head that Arizona legislature is reducing the level of crazy noise so it can go back to actually serving the public.
Of course it'll be interesting to see those who cheered or dissed the booting of two black members of Tennessee's legislature for disrupting proceedings and how they view this.

**********

Rep. Liz Harris, a prominent supporter of discredited election conspiracies, was kicked out of the Legislature in a bipartisan vote after the presentation by an Arizona insurance agent.

She made a bunch of unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of politicians, judges and public officials of both parties took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

All Democrats and about half of Republicans voted to expel Harris in a 46-13 vote.

edit to add:
By law, Harris must be replaced by a Republican. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will choose from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican precinct committeemen in her district.

Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker who presented unproven accusations

The Arizona House of Representatives has expelled a Republican lawmaker who organized a presentation by someone who made unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of public officials took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

www.pbs.org

I think the magic word is "bipartisan."

 

[ElChupacabra]

I think the magic word is "bipartisan."

That term two has change recently, since for some of those bipartisans are considered RINOs.

 

[ClaraD]

It seems that Arizona state legislature has had enough of the crack pots in office. And boy, this crackpot is crazy.
I'm glad to head that Arizona legislature is reducing the level of crazy noise so it can go back to actually serving the public.
Of course it'll be interesting to see those who cheered or dissed the booting of two black members of Tennessee's legislature for disrupting proceedings and how they view this.

**********

Rep. Liz Harris, a prominent supporter of discredited election conspiracies, was kicked out of the Legislature in a bipartisan vote after the presentation by an Arizona insurance agent.

She made a bunch of unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of politicians, judges and public officials of both parties took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

All Democrats and about half of Republicans voted to expel Harris in a 46-13 vote.

edit to add:
By law, Harris must be replaced by a Republican. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will choose from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican precinct committeemen in her district.

Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker who presented unproven accusations

The Arizona House of Representatives has expelled a Republican lawmaker who organized a presentation by someone who made unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of public officials took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

www.pbs.org

Was this her first offense? While I would have suggested she be warned about slandering government officials and private citizens.....and suspended and censured I am not sure I would agree with booting her out on a first offense. I would silence her and fine her and the next time kick her to the curb. Her voters have a right to have the person they voted for in office...or to recall her.

 

[Lycanthrope]

That term two has change recently, since for some of those bipartisans are considered RINOs.

What's unique is those AZ "RINOS" felt that she was deserving enough of getting the boot that they weren't intimidated by the MAGA extremists in the party, or were otherwise immune to their ability to threaten careers.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Was this her first offense? While I would have suggested she be warned about slandering government officials and private citizens.....and suspended and censured I am not sure I would agree with booting her out on a first offense. I would silence her and fine her and the next time kick her to the curb. Her voters have a right to have the person they voted for in office...or to recall her.

I guess calling in clown guests that accuse your colleagues of criminal activity is a red line there.

 

[ClaraD]

"The committee’s report said Harris knew the person she invited to a legislative hearing in February would accuse her colleagues of criminal activity, that she took steps to hide it from House leaders ahead of time and then misled the committee investigating her actions."

Unlike TN this had bipartisan support. She sounds like a genuine nutbag who contributed little that wasn't negative or disruptive.

Oh, I understand it had support from both parties...but I just cannot agree with kicking someone out of office unless they have done something serious like corruption of the office or a crime.

 

[CaughtInThe]

She's a massive maga lying election denier and conspiracy theorist.

 

[ClaraD]

I guess calling in clown guests that accuse your colleagues of criminal activity is a red line there.

perhaps, but I am not for kicking someone out because your colleagues disagree....why didn't they send it to a recall vote? She did something that merits punishment, but not removal from office. Her friend also needs to find out what a slander lawsuit feels like.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Oh, I understand it had support from both parties...but I just cannot agree with kicking someone out of office unless they have done something serious like corruption of the office or a crime.

Right, and I get that. But add on that she allegedly deceived them in terms of who she was bringing, and then stonewalled the investigation that followed. Too much crazy in such a short span of time tends to turn colleagues against you.

 

[ClaraD]

Right, and I get that. But add on that she allegedly deceived them in terms of who she was bringing, and then stonewalled the investigation that followed. Too much crazy in such a short span of time tends to turn colleagues against you.

absolutely.....however, I think that she may have gotten the message had she been suspended from attending sessions for a couple of months, fined and censured.

 

[Lycanthrope]

]absolutely.....however, I think that she may have gotten the message had she been suspended from attending sessions for a couple of months, fined and censured.

In any case she was apparently small enough fish that those Republicans felt they weren't jeopardizing their own positions in supporting her expulsion.

 

[Tangmo]

The major difference between the legislatures in TN and AZ is that the AZ legislature controlled by Republicans did an ethics investigation while the TN legislature acted immediately and arbitrarily.

One TN Republican told Rep. Justin Pearson he was being expelled because "you had a temper tantrum" which is an inaccurate portrayal of Pearson and two colleagues reaction to the gun deaths in the Memphis elementary school.


The Republican-controlled Arizona House on Wednesday voted to expel the GOP lawmaker from the state-level chamber after she invited a guest speaker before a committee to make unvetted criminal allegations against elected officials. The Arizona House Ethics Committee determined that Harris broke state rules by inviting constituent Jacqueline Breger to give a presentation that alleged schemes of “money laundering, drug trafficking and sales, public corruption, bribing of public officials, and election fraud” by public officials, government employees and others.

"I’m not alone in believing that it was irresponsible and bad judgment for Ms. Harris to invite a person to present unsubstantiated and defamatory allegations in a legislative forum,” Republican Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma said. “That evidence is clear – a member of this House plotted, and then repeatedly lied to advance false and defamatory allegations in a televised legislative hearing. She lied about her role in this effort to mainstream a conspiracy that a federal judge had already labeled as ‘delusional,’” Cano said.

Arizona House votes to expel Republican lawmaker

The Republican-controlled Arizona House on Wednesday voted to expel a GOP lawmaker from the state-level chamber after she invited a guest speaker before a committee to make unvetted criminal allega…

thehill.com

Students yell, asking for gun reform legislation and support the Tennessee Three outside the House chamber Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee Republicans went on to oust two House Democrats for their role in a demonstration calling for gun control following the Nashville school shooting. The white woman representative survived the vote. Several US Senators have written to urge the Justice Department to investigate civil rights and Constitutional issues in the matter. Properly, no Congressional subpoenas are involved. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)


The expelled Republican in AZ must by law be replaced by a Republican. The Maricopa country commission will vote to appoint a temporary successor. In TN the two black representatives are returned and readmitted to the state legislature, each by the vote of the two affected county commissions.

 

[ClaraD]

In any case she was apparently small enough fish that those Republicans felt they weren't jeopardizing their own positions in supporting her expulsion.

Oh, I think that Arizona for the most part probably produces some fairly moderate Republicans....remember they handed John McCain to the Senate and he was very moderate and disliked Trump with a passion.

 

[Slartibartfast]

We really need to stop expelling people unless they are convicted of crimes. This is only going to escalate into stupider places then we already saw with TN.

 

[Tangmo]

absolutely.....however, I think that she may have gotten the message had she been suspended from attending sessions for a couple of months, fined and censured.

No way.

MAGA is Triumph of The Will 2.0

This one as with the vast majority of 'em are delusional crackpots. The only way for 'em to stop is to stop 'em. Other legislatures need to use this example as their model too. It's time to get tough with these fascists.

 

[ClaraD]

No way.

MAGA is Triumph of The Will 2.0

This one as with the vast majority of 'em are delusional crackpots. The only way for 'em to stop is to stop 'em. Other legislatures need to use this example as their model too. It's time to get tough with these fascists.

she is a crackpot, but she was voted for by her constituents...she did not commit a crime.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Oh, I think that Arizona for the most part probably produces some fairly moderate Republicans....remember they handed John McCain to the Senate and he was very moderate and disliked Trump with a passion.

Sure, but this is also the same state that found significant support for Kari Lake, Mark Finchem, and Blake Masters.

 

[ElChupacabra]

What's unique is those AZ "RINOS" felt that she was deserving enough of getting the boot that they weren't intimidated by the MAGA extremists in the party, or were otherwise immune to their ability to threaten careers.

Yep, fair point, but you know how the whinging grievance politics folks are going to take it.

 

[beefheart]

It seems that Arizona state legislature has had enough of the crack pots in office. And boy, this crackpot is crazy.
I'm glad to head that Arizona legislature is reducing the level of crazy noise so it can go back to actually serving the public.
Of course it'll be interesting to see those who cheered or dissed the booting of two black members of Tennessee's legislature for disrupting proceedings and how they view this.

**********

Rep. Liz Harris, a prominent supporter of discredited election conspiracies, was kicked out of the Legislature in a bipartisan vote after the presentation by an Arizona insurance agent.

She made a bunch of unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of politicians, judges and public officials of both parties took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

All Democrats and about half of Republicans voted to expel Harris in a 46-13 vote.

edit to add:
By law, Harris must be replaced by a Republican. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will choose from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican precinct committeemen in her district.

Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker who presented unproven accusations

The Arizona House of Representatives has expelled a Republican lawmaker who organized a presentation by someone who made unsubstantiated accusations that a wide range of public officials took bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

www.pbs.org

Trust me, there are 8 or 9 more that are just as nuts, but they didn't offend the mormons in the legislature.

 

[Tangmo]

she is a crackpot, but she was voted for by her constituents...she did not commit a crime.

The AZ House actions and procedures to expel the lunatic crackpot representative are constitutional, as cited in its House Resolution 2003.

A public official does not need to commit a crime to be condemned or cast out. We know elected representatives have a public trust higher than the usual standard in a democracy, ie, that reasonable people act in reasonable ways. Elected officials in a democratic republic need to be more pure than Caesar's wife.


Excerpts from the Resolution...

A RESOLUTION
EXPELLING REPRESENTATIVE LIZ HARRIS FROM THE ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Whereas, the Ethics Committee found that, as the primary organizer of the Joint Hearing and the Acting Vice Chair during Ms. Breger's presentation, Representative Harris used her elected position to provide Ms. Breger with a legislative platform as a substitute for a criminal court; Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona:

3. That in the exercise of the power granted to the House of Representatives by Article IV, part 2, section 11, Constitution of Arizona, the House of Representatives, with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members, hereby condemns the actions of Representative Liz Harris and expels her from the Arizona House of Representatives.

https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/56leg/1R/bills/HR2003P.pdf

This action supports the argument that a significant number of Republicans in AZ are reasonable people. It also points out AZ Republicans took serious heed of the midterm voting in the state and in other states. Accordingly, I reiterate it's time to get tough with the fascists authoritarians who have permeated across the land.

 

[ClaraD]

The AZ House actions and procedures to expel the lunatic crackpot representative are constitutional, as cited in its House Resolution 2003.

A public official does not need to commit a crime to be condemned or cast out. We know elected representatives have a public trust higher than the usual standard in a democracy, ie, that reasonable people act in reasonable ways. Elected officials in a democratic republic need to be more pure than Caesar's wife.


Excerpts from the Resolution...

A RESOLUTION
EXPELLING REPRESENTATIVE LIZ HARRIS FROM THE ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Whereas, the Ethics Committee found that, as the primary organizer of the Joint Hearing and the Acting Vice Chair during Ms. Breger's presentation, Representative Harris used her elected position to provide Ms. Breger with a legislative platform as a substitute for a criminal court; Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona:

3. That in the exercise of the power granted to the House of Representatives by Article IV, part 2, section 11, Constitution of Arizona, the House of Representatives, with the concurrence of two-thirds of its members, hereby condemns the actions of Representative Liz Harris and expels her from the Arizona House of Representatives.

https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/56leg/1R/bills/HR2003P.pdf

This action supports the argument that a significant number of Republicans in AZ are reasonable people. It also points out AZ Republicans took serious heed of the midterm voting in the state and in other states. Accordingly, I reiterate it's time to get tough with the fascists authoritarians who have permeated across the land.

oh, I know they are constitutional....but I am talking about what is right vs wrong. I also was against the expelling of the Democrats in Tennessee...this isn't a partisan issue for me.