On Monday, on a 24 to 3 vote, the Arizona State Senate passed a motion to launch an ethics investigation into an inflammatory comment made on social media by Senator Wendy Rogers which cast the Senate in a bad light. This is the second time this year that the Senate has been thrown into turmoil by Roger’s erratic behavior.
“We believe in due process.”
– @FannKfannFor those who didn’t watch all of today’s floor proceedings, here’s some important background on the circumstances surrounding the events that took place. pic.twitter.com/YSkepIknA5
— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) May 17, 2022
Monday’s controversy stemmed from a bizarre claim Rogers made on social media that the shooting rampage that had just occurred in Buffalo was a “false flag” attack carried out by the federal government.
The vote to launch an ethics investigation was the Republican leadership’s response to a plan by the Democrats to expel Rogers from the Senate. Leadership had hoped an ethics investigation would appease the Democrats and preserve due process for Rogers. The Democrats were not appeased and attempted a second time to force a vote on expulsion. They failed.
While the Democrats were focused on proceeding directly to expulsion, many Republican senators expressed shock that the Democrats would deny Rogers her due process. While none of the senators offered support for what she said, they largely agreed that she should be allowed to present her case.
“There has been no process. I question whether any of the yes votes have had a single conversation with the member they’re voting to expel. This is the equivalent of a legislative execution, there is no greater punishment we as a body can impose. That’s why due process, an ethics process, an investigation, something, is so critical. Because if we just forgo that, we are no better than a mob.” said State Senator JD Mesnard.
Rogers claimed after the vote that her comments were taken out of context. She also accused the Democrats of trying to foment division in the Republican Party.
However, Republicans say it is Rogers who is constantly trying to foment division, both in the Party and in the general population at large. “Her comments were not taken out of context, there is only one possible meaning to her accusation that the federal government of the United States just carried out a mass murder. She’s going to need a much better defense than “I’m misunderstood!”” said one observer of the vote.
“Let me be very clear I do not condone violent crime or racism,” said Rogers in a press release. “My heart breaks for those who lost their lives as well as the families in this weekend’s shooting.”
“I am grateful to Republican leadership team for fighting to give me due process in this matter and I am certain that once the facts have been analyzed I will be vindicated,” said Rogers.