Republican Liz Harris is expelled from the Arizona state House : NPR
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
April 12, 20236:02 PM ET
By Ben Giles
Jonathan J. Cooper
PHOENIX — An Arizona Republican legislator has been expelled from the state House of Representatives for inviting a witness to present false charges about lawmakers and other state officials — and then, according to an ethics committee report, lying about her involvement in the outrageous testimony.
A bipartisan, two-thirds majority of the GOP-led House voted Wednesday to kick out Liz Harris, a freshman lawmaker from Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix.
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 vote came a day after the release of a House Ethics Committee report, which concluded that Harris knew, or was at least aware, that a woman she arranged to testify at the Capitol would claim, without evidence, that a host of elected officials and judges, including Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, took bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel and committed other crimes, such as money laundering.
The woman, Gilbert, Ariz., insurance agent Jacqueline Breger, also claimed during the February hearing that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "controls" the government and played a key role in money laundering schemes.
Breger provided no evidence to support the outlandish claims. But a video of her testimony in front of election committees exploded on the internet in the days following the hearing. At one point, #CartelKatie was trending on Twitter.
It didn't matter that there was no substance to the claims. The fact that they were presented before Republican lawmakers in their official capacity at the state Capitol — Democrats on the committees boycotted the hearing — gave the accusations enough credibility to spread.
That was problematic enough to merit the ethics investigation and expulsion, according to House Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican and one of the lawmakers falsely accused of criminal activity.
"Each member could make up their own mind on whether or not Rep. Harris did, in fact, not only perpetrate this to begin with, but then contradict herself numerous times during the ethics hearing process," said Toma, one of the 46 lawmakers who voted to expel Harris.
In full, the ethics panel concluded Harris' actions violated House rules and damaged the body's institutional integrity.
"Harris engaged in disorderly behavior in violation of House Rule 1, thereby eroding the public trust in the legislative process," the resolution calling for her expulsion read.
The ethics report also found that Harris lied to the panel when she claimed she had no idea Breger would make such wild accusations.
"The only thing that we have down here is our word and our integrity," Toma said. "And when that is clearly crossed, when you can no longer count on someone's word or integrity, they can no longer be an effective legislator."
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. She quietly left the House floor after the roll call vote. Only after the House adjourned did a handful of her supporters in the gallery speak out, shouting "shame on you, shame, shame, shame."
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So with the Tennessee Republicans removing Democrats, Democrats calling for Sen Finestein to step down and now this, state politics is getting a bit more interesting. Are the AZ Republicans sending a signal they will be more moderate? It's hard to believe after spending so much tax payer money trying to prove their populist bona fides on bogus vote recounts.
A bipartisan, two-thirds majority of the GOP-led House voted Wednesday to kick out Liz Harris, a freshman lawmaker from Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix.
I think a growing number of Republicans are starting to see the light and push back against the wacko segment of the party.
More like a growing number of voters are pushing back against the wacko segment of the party and the AZ Republicans want to keep their jobs.
Too bad voters are putting wacko Democrats in to replace them.
Also, too bad Democrats can't be made to fear for their jobs the same way.
They're not the ones lying about the Democrats - it's the scummy turds in the gop/gqp/republicants
Well, if democrats start following whacko cult leaders and pushing for the overthrow of our government, they would also fear for their jobs.
Too bad for right wing populists partisans you mean.
Lol no, not at all. I think this was a one off.
You could be correct. At this point I wouldn't bet on anything in AZ politics.
Arizona really isn't as hardcore republican as some people think. Gerrymandering has given the GOP an outsized voice in the state for a long time, but as we have seen in the last 2 election cycles moderate Dems do quite well here. Especially when Republicans nominate cry babies who actively seek to resurrect the dead horse just so they can beat it some more.
I've been paying some attention to AZ and Phoenix area where my son lives.
It's the same up there in WI.
Lying is a good reason to get the boot.
mmmm... weren't they all lying just a year or two ago when they authorized that bullshit recount?
Yep & they should all get the boot - same with the nut bag Santos. They all talk about changing things, but refuse to get rid of the ones that lie to get elected or appointed to the Supreme Court. I am of the mind if they LIE then they get the boot - regardless of who they are & then maybe we can get some honest reps that will work for the good of the country.
I know - naïve & rose colored glasses over here...
Seems that lunatics are out of vogue in AZ now.
That's just it. Now that voting results are swinging to the left they all are tripping over themselves to appear more moderate.
It won't work. We know better. Too much, too little, too late.
Plus, they're losing a lot of the younger generation votes and the younger generation who have grown up with all the school shootings and the gop/gqp/republicans saying the murder of our children is the cost of freedom. Also, the votes of the parents of those children who are tired of seeing them murdered by the supporters of the gop/gqp/republicans.
Unfortunately it probably will work. We'll see how the polls on Gov Hobbs go as time goes on. That will gives us a better insight on AZ voters.
It's fascism! Democracy is in danger!
Get her on GMA to yuck it up with the hosts.
It's more likely she'll start working with other nutbags like Kari Lake
Of course.
Only left wing nutbags who take over legislative sessions are given fawning spots on GMA.
Of course, if she was a left wing nutbag who brought in leftwing nutbags to speak to the Arizona House and was expelled by Republicans she'd be a hero to the left.
And if Republicans (particularly one with a history of assaulting legislators and using racist insults) had taken over a state legislature led by Democrats with a bullhorn and prevented it from functioning, Democrats and the media would be calling them insurrectionists and cheering the legislature on for expelling them.
The same as right wing nutbags getting prime time fawning spots on Fox. Considering I don't watch either of them I pretty much don't care about whatever point you think you are making here.
A totally irrelevant oranges to apples comparison, since it's about one party disciplining one of their own.
When did she get a fawning spot on Fox?
A totally irrelevant oranges to apples comparison, since it's about one party disciplining one of their own.
Try and read what I wrote again.
How the fuck would I know? I don't watch infotainment programming.
Done and the same response applies. No one except you is talking about one party vs other.