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Now-former state Rep. Liz Harris (R), known for her far-right politics and conspiracy theories about Democratic election wins, was expelled with bipartisan support by a vote in the state House. An ethics probe had recently found that Harris had engaged in “disorderly behavior” for inviting the conspiracy theorist witness. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — The Arizona House voted Wednesday to expel Rep. Liz Harris (R-District 13) for violating ethics rules. The House needed a two-thirds vote to expel Harris and they got more than that as 18 of 31 Republicans joined the 28 Democrats on the floor in voting for expulsion. It just comes down to that simple principle,” said Rep. David Livingston, a Republican from Peoria.
Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker over unproven claims
Willoughby, the chief nursing officer at Exceptional Community Hospital in the city of Maricopa, ran with Harris as a team in last year's election. Jennifer Pawlik, D-Chandler, won the other House seat with more votes than either Harris or Willoughby. Republican Rep. Alexander Kolodin said Harris “made an error in judgement,” but expelling her would send the wrong message. With Harris’s seat now empty, Republicans do not have a majority in the House, leaving them one GOP vote shy of what they would need to pass their priorities until her position is filled.
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The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall. At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone. Willoughby, an emergency room trauma nurse, teamed up with Harris in campaign ads and events during last year’s election. They had hoped to win both district seats, but Harris and Democratic Rep. Jennifer Pawlik emerged as the top two vote-getters. "There has been real and lasting damage to the lives and reputations of people who did not deserve it," said Rep. Andres Cano, the top Democrat in the House.
Arizona House votes to expel State Rep. Liz Harris
Republican Rep. Alexander Kolodin said Harris "made an error in judgement," but expelling her would send the wrong message. According to state law, the Legislative District 13 Republican precinct committees will pick three candidates to fill Harris’ seat. Those nominees will go to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which will make the final pick. The Republicans who voted against expelling Harris included many in the Freedom Caucus. Alongside Harris and Chaplik, the Republicans who voted against it include Reps. Neal Carter, David Cook, Gail Griffin, Justin Heap, Rachel Jones, Alexander Kolodin, Cory McGarr, Barbara Parker, Jacqueline Parker, Kevin Payne and Austin Smith. The Arizona House of Representatives voted Wednesday to expel Rep. Liz Harris, R-Chandler.
Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker over unproven claims - The Associated Press
Arizona House expels GOP lawmaker over unproven claims.
Posted: Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
On April 12, 2023, Harris was expelled from the Republican-controlled legislature for inviting a speaker who promulgated conspiracy theories before a joint hearing of the House and Senate elections committees. Harris' expulsion came less than a week after Tennessee Republicans voted to expel two black Democrats, a decision that made that state a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy. Instead, there was widespread and bipartisan condemnation for Harris’ actions.
She’s the first lawmaker to be expelled in Arizona since Rep. Don Shooter was kicked out for sexual misconduct amid the 2018 #MeToo movement. Rep. David Stringer quit the following year after old sex crimes charges came to light that likely would have led to his expulsion. The precinct committee members will then vote, within five business days, to nominate three qualified candidates to replace the lawmaker.
Lawmakers consider changing replacement process - Arizona Capitol Times
Lawmakers consider changing replacement process.
Posted: Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
"It sets a bad precedent because it says we're going to expel members for playing shell games and hiding the ball. Well, start expelling members for that, there would only be a few occupied seats down here," said State Rep. Alexander Kolodin. The Republican lawmaker represents the state's 3rd Legislative District, which covers a portion of Northeastern Maricopa County. Democratic Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton filed an ethics complaint against Harris on March 6, and the Ethics Committee held an evidentiary hearing on March 30. "They knew she was going to go down and do some controversial and inflammatory things, and it's not my place to second-guess the wisdom of the people who put her in office." In a statement Wednesday, House Democratic leader Andrés Cano said Harris' actions were "reckless and unbecoming of any elected official." "We need 31 votes to pass any bill," said House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, adding that Republicans must have had a "strict majority" to pass bills on party lines.
Arizona Republican lawmakers have given wide leeway for people claiming to be election experts to share unsubstantiated or disproven claims in hearings at the Capitol. But GOP legislative leaders raced to distance themselves from Breger's claims and pin blame on Harris. The vote against Harris comes less than a week after Tennessee Republicans voted to expel two black Democrats, a decision that made that state a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy.
hearing
Harris, formerly R-District 13 in the East Valley, was expelled after a legislative ethics committee report found she damaged "the institutional integrity of the House" after she invited Jacqueline Breger to publicly speak before a group of lawmakers. The Republican-controlled Arizona House of Representatives voted to expel one of their own Wednesday morning, a day after a report found now-former Rep. Liz Harris committed "disorderly behavior" in inviting a speaker who spread a baseless election conspiracy theory. 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. The lawmaker's ouster came a day after the House Ethics Committee determined Harris had engaged in "disorderly behavior" in violation of the chamber's rules. The House Ethics Committee (composed of three Republican representatives and two Democrats) unanimously agreed, saying that Harris violated House rules by inviting Jacqueline Breger to that February meeting. In addition, they said Harris lied when she claimed she had no idea Breger would say what she did.
"God knows the truth," Harris said, according to video recorded by a reporter for KPNX-TV. "This was an example of how you need to toe the line. If you don't toe the line, this is what happens." Livingston said his vote to expel Harris wasn’t personal, but it was standing up for the integrity of the institution of the House. "Bad behavior can no longer be allowed to continue. That is it," said State House Speaker Toma.
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Harris told The Washington Post ahead of the vote, "I didn't lie and God knows the truth. The truth will come out." Harris did not speak on her own behalf as the House voted to expel her. Only after the House adjourned did a handful of her supporters in the gallery speak out, shouting "shame on you, shame, shame, shame." The notable move to expel Harris, who's pushed baseless claims about the 2020 and 2022 elections, comes as members of the state's Republican Party have in recent years led Arizona to become a hive of election denialism.
The board of supervisors from the county where the departing lawmaker lives will select the new lawmaker from that group. Specifically, Harris brought a guest to a public hearing who made unvetted accusations that officeholders, Mesa City Council members and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were part of a drug cartel's "bribery" scheme. She also lied to the Ethics Committee about whether she knew her guest would make those accusations, the investigation found. She’s the first lawmaker to be expelled in Arizona since Rep. Don Shooter was kicked out for sexual misconduct amid the 2018 #MeToo movement. Harris narrowly won her election in 2022 in a swing district in Phoenix’s suburbs. Precinct committeemen in her district’s Republican party will now nominate three people who could replace Harris, with the Maricopa county board of supervisors deciding on the person who will take her spot.
She's the first lawmaker to be expelled in Arizona since Rep. Don Shooter was kicked out for sexual misconduct amid the 2018 #MeToo movement. Rep. David Stringer quit the following year after old sex crimes charges came to light that likely would have led to his expulsion. “The members of the Ethics Committee unanimously found the fact-intensive evidence to show that Representative Harris engaged in disorderly behavior in violation of House Rule 1, thereby eroding the public trust in the legislative process,” the resolution said. The expulsion vote took effect immediately, leaving a vacancy in the state house.
But the Arizona vote did not carry the same partisan and racial overtones, with widespread and bipartisan condemnation for Harris’s actions. But GOP legislative leaders raced to distance themselves from Breger’s claims and pin blame on Harris. Harris had told the ethics committee she was not aware of what Breger would present to the elections hearing, but the committee received a batch of text messages from an anonymous source that contradicted that claim.
But the Arizona vote did not carry the same partisan and racial overtones, with widespread and bipartisan condemnation for Harris's actions. PHOENIX – The Arizona House voted to expel Republican Rep. Liz Harris on Wednesday for letting a witness make wide-ranging accusations of bribery during a February hearing about election reforms. The vote against Harris comes less than a week after Tennessee Republicans voted to expel two black Democrats, a decision that made that state a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy.
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