![]() ![]() Cruz announced that he and ten other Senators would “reject the electors from disputed states. I will object on January 6 on their behalf,” and “Somebody has to stand up.” On January 2, Sen. Hawley explained: “Millions of voters concerned about election integrity deserve to be heard. Hawley became the first Senator to state that he would object. Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley lent legitimacy to President Trump’s false statements about election fraud by announcing that they would object to the certification of electors on January 6. January 6th to ‘StopTheSteal.’” On December 19, he tweeted: “Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. He called on his supporters to “Come to D.C. Instead, President Trump continued to repeat the baseless claims. On December 1, 2020, Gabriel Sterling, a Republican election official at the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, stated that the false claims of election fraud by President Trump were “inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence.” He called on the President, as well as Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, to “step up” and “condemn” these threats. By early December, President Trump’s false fraud claims had provoked numerous threats against state and local election officials and employees of voting machine companies. Senators Cruz and Hawley became leaders of that effort.Īt the time the senators announced their support for President Trump’s scheme, his rhetoric had already incited threats of violence. President Trump’s efforts culminated in an attempt to convince Congressional allies and Vice President Pence to reject groundlessly the electors from six states when Congress met to count the Electoral College votes on January 6. The President filed dozens of meritless lawsuits made direct threats to state and local officials and issued false public statements alleging election fraud. Senators Cruz and Hawley’s objections on January 6 were part of an ongoing effort by President Trump and his allies to obstruct the counting of electoral votes that would confirm his defeat. Senators Hawley and Cruz Declared Their Intention to Object to the Vote Amidst Violent Threats. ![]() Until then, a cloud of uncertainty will hang over them and over this body. The actions of which we know demand an investigation and a determination whether disciplinary action is warranted. The Senate Ethics Committee should investigate their conduct to fully understand their role. The question the Senate must answer is not whether Senators Hawley and Cruz had the right to the object to the electors, but whether the senators failed to “ut loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or Government department” or engaged in “improper conduct reflecting on the Senate” in connection with the violence on January 6. The Senate has the exclusive power to determine whether these actions violated its ethics rules, to investigate further conduct of which we may not be aware that may have violated these rules, and to consider appropriate discipline. Senators Hawley and Cruz’s actions have been denounced by individuals across the political spectrum. By proceeding with their objections to the electors after the violent attack, Senators Cruz and Hawley lent legitimacy to the mob’s cause and made future violence more likely. Dozens of police officers were injured five people died, including U.S. These insurrectionists ransacked the building, stole property, and openly threatened Members of Congress and the Vice President. While Congress was debating Senator Cruz’s objection, a violent mob stormed the Capitol. When Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley announced they would object to the counting of state-certified electors on January 6, 2021, they amplified claims of election fraud that had resulted in threats of violence against state and local officials around the country. ![]() A PDF copy is available here.ĭear Chairman Coons and Vice Chairman Lankford, The senators call on the Ethics Committee to carry out a thorough and fair investigation and consider any appropriate consequences based on the Committee’s findings.įull text of the senators’ complaint is below. As the senators note, the Senate has the exclusive power to determine whether the members’ actions violated Senate ethics rules. – Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) lodged today a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee concerning the behavior of Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) related to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. ![]()
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