“Oh my, what a disappointment you are for us and for God!” they wrote to the Republican of Illinois, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the newspaper, rebuking his “horrible and rude accusations of President Trump”.
“I did this knowing full well that it could very well be terminal for my career,” said Kinzinger of his vote at the time. “But I also knew that I couldn’t live with myself having, you know, just trying to protect him and I just felt that the one time I was called on to do a really difficult duty, I didn’t do it.”
CNN did not verify the letter’s authenticity and contacted Kinzinger’s office for comment.
Kiniznger told the Times that the family members who signed the letter were “brainwashed” by the conservative churches that deceived them.
“I have nothing against them,” he told the newspaper, “but I have no desire or need to reach out and fix it. It is 100% their responsibility to reach out and fix it, and honestly, I don’t care if they do or no. “
Kinzinger’s cousin Karen Otto wrote the letter and sent it to Kinzinger’s father – to make sure the congressman saw it – and other Republicans across the state, the Times reported.
“I wanted Adam to be avoided,” she told the Times.
Kinzinger comes from a large family in central Illinois, and his father has 32 brother cousins, according to the newspaper. The congressman had already referred to such a familiar reaction to his vote.
CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this report.