Arizona’s legislative leadership is hearing calls for seven of its Republican colleagues to be banned from the House and Senate. The new legislators in question support “Stop The Steal”. They are Republican representatives Mark Finchem, David Cook and Walt Blackman, along with Republican senators Wendy Rogers, Kelly Townsend, Sonny Borrelli and David Livingston.
The Stop The Steal movement claims that President Donald Trump beat Arizona and the nation in the November 3 elections. Both claims are completely untrue and have been rejected in at least 60 federal and local lawsuits across the country, including several in Arizona. On Wednesday, President Trump’s false beliefs and a call for action caused his supporters to revolt and temporarily occupy the United States Capitol building. As they invaded the corridors, the joint session of Congress certifying the electoral vote was forced into hiding. The vote was finally certified at 4 am on Thursday.
“We have substantial evidence that this election was a fraud in six states,” elected Representative Mark Finchem (R-LD 11) told ABC15 Arizona, as he walked the streets of Washington DC on the morning of the riot. “If there is violence, it will be in the hands of Antifa.”
Finchem, who represents Oro Valley, traveled to Washington to participate in the protests. He posted photos on Twitter outside the Capitol with a reading, “What happens when the people feel they have been ignored and Congress refuses to acknowledge the rampant fraud”, showing an image of the protest.
Newly elected Arizona state senator Wendy Rogers echoed the statement, also on Twitter.
“I condemn Antifa’s radical mobs for attacking the Capitol and I condemn the Democrats for wanting to strip the very police that protected them,” Rogers tweeted on Wednesday.
Blaming Antifa is a factually incorrect point of conversation for members of the far-right Republican Party. In September, FBI director Christopher Wray said that while Antifa is real, it is seen more as an ideology than as a group.
Rogers also blamed the US Congress for the death of protester Ashli Babbit, who was shot and killed by Capitol Police after breaking windows and trying to enter the halls.
Congress caused the death of a peaceful unarmed Air Force veteran today by ignoring the people’s requests. She was shot in the neck and is now deceased. All they had to do was allow an audit of the machines and the votes. This could have been avoided.
– Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) January 7, 2021
Finchem and Rogers are two of seven elected legislators appointed by a progressive legislative policy group to be unfit and dangerous to serve in the Arizona legislature. Progress Arizona asked Mayor Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann to remove the following state legislators before being sworn in on Monday:
- Senator-elect Kelly Townsend representing East Mesa and Gold Canyon
- Senator-elect Sonny Borrelli representing Lake Havasu and Kingman
- Senator-elect David Livingston of Surprise and Sun City
- Representative David Cook from the San Tan and Globe areas
- Elected representative Walt Blackman representing Flagstaff
“We are calling to expel them based on the behavior they displayed and the catastrophes that occurred yesterday at the United States Capitol,” said Jenny Guzman of Progress Arizona. “At the very least, they should hold them accountable, reprimanding them for their presidential positions.”
Arizona Mayor Rusty Bowers and House Majority Leader Ben Toma released this statement on Wednesday, condemning the violence on the United States Capitol, but did not comment on the call to remove the seven lawmakers:
“In America, we respect and honor the fundamental right of expression and protest, as long as it is done peacefully. However, the behavior that occurred today in the United States Capitol building was anything but. It was a despicable and dangerous attack on the very heart of the representative government, which cannot be tolerated or excused in civil society.
“We must all revisit the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, whose words of hope still resonate, in this and many other contexts: ‘We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Although passion may have forced it, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystical chords of memory, extending from every battlefield and patriot’s grave to every heart and living stone throughout this vast land, will still swell the Union choir, when played again, as they certainly will be, by the best angels of our nature. ‘”
Longtime Arizona lawmaker and state Senate minority leader Rebecca Rios said it is highly unlikely that Arizona’s majority leaders will take any action.
“It is embarrassing and, honestly, it is disturbing,” Rios said of his colleagues stirring up protests. “They are part of the problem. They directly incited this uprising, this coup attempt, against our democracy.
“If we are really concerned with the behavior of the individuals elected here in Arizona, they need to be held accountable, at the very least. The issue must be addressed by the whole body, I do not believe this will really happen,” said Rios.