WASHINGTON — Arizona Republican Representative Mark Finchem worked with far-right activist Ali Alexander to coordinate Stop the Steal rallies in Arizona and in DC on January 6th, according to text messages published in the Phoenix New Times. The recently disclosed communications also show Finchem discussing Texas’s election lawsuit and other efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election with Alexander, a known organizer of the “Stop the Steal” movement.
“This is just the latest evidence that shows Mark Fichem engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine our democracy,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post. “He has no place serving as a lawmaker — but Republican officials have covered for him. They dismissed ethics complaints against Finchem and refused to work with their Democratic colleagues to expel him from the legislature. Republicans must answer for these shocking new findings. If Republican leadership refuses to take disciplinary action against him, they are complicit.”
Representative Finchem, who has long-standing ties to far-right extremist groups, attended the insurrection in DC and said that the violence was “what happens when the People feel they have been ignored, and Congress refuses to acknowledge rampant fraud.” He also received a payment from the Trump campaign while leading the push to overturn the will of Arizona voters and organizing a sham hearing with Rudy Guiliani. In the face of these revelations, GOP legislators dismissed ethics complaints filed about his conduct.
Over 500 Republican legislators contributed to the effort to overturn the election and at least 19 attended the insurrection in DC.
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