Arizona Republican state Rep. Liz Harris has been expelled by the legislature.
On Wednesday, the Arizona House of Representatives released a resolution explaining why Harris had been expelled.
“Your Committee on Ethics (“Committee”) has considered the Ethics Complaint (“Complaint”) filed on March 6, 2023, by Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton against Representative Liz Harris, which is premised on Representative Haris’s conduct relating to Jacqueline Breger’s testimony before the House and Senate Special Joint Elections Committee on February 23, 2023,” the resolution states.
It continues, “The Committee unanimously concludes that Representative Harris committed disorderly behavior, thereby violating Rule 1 of the Rules of the Arizona House of Representatives and damaging the institutional integrity of the House.”
The issue at hand involved a February joint committee hearing during which Harris invited Breger to present a number of baseless allegations against public officials.
A video on Twitter shows Harris leaving the chamber with an individual shouting, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
Watch the video below:
Rep. Liz Harris leaves the chamber pic.twitter.com/PrVb7DmA7G
— YvonneWingettSanchez ? (@yvonnewingett) April 12, 2023
However, Harris did have some defenders.
Republican Rep. Alex Kolodin said ahead of the vote to expel Harris, “They [the public] will perceive that they don’t have a true voice in this body because when they elect somebody to rock the boat, and she does it … admittedly in the wrong way … a way that should have been better considered, that that member will be expelled.”
Kolodin added, “So, in order to protect this body, to preserve public trust and confidence in us and more importantly in the legislature as a means for being the peoples voice, and bringing about real change, I do sadly but resolutely vote no.”
The Arizona House Democrats issued a statement of their own responding to the expulsion.
PRESS RELEASE: House Democratic Statement on Expulsion of Liz Harris #azleg pic.twitter.com/13rsbBfAqH
— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) April 12, 2023
“The integrity of our institution was damaged in that moment. The damage continues to accumulate, and for that there must be accountability,” the statement reads.
