WASHINGTON — Two insurrectionist Arizona Republican legislators who attended violent demonstrations in Washington, Rep. Mark Finchem and former Rep. Anthony Kern, won’t respond to public records requests that would shed light on their activities that day, citing a “threat of criminal prosecution.” Arizona courts have ruled that such cell phone data from public officials can be considered public record, but the lawmakers’ noncompliance raises questions about their transparency with regard to the sorry events in Washington.
“If these legislators have nothing to hide, then they should have no problem complying with this request,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post. “These and so many other Republicans cheered on a violent effort to undermine the very foundation of our democracy — the least they could do is give their constituents a full accounting of their activities. Their failure to do so is just another reason why they should never hold public office again.”
Representative Finchem has a long history of associating with right-wing extremist groups like the Oath Keepers, and after sharing laudatory photos of the violence on Capitol Hill tried to claim that the violence was the work of Antifa. Kern, who lost reelection last November, is a former police officer who was fired for misconduct and who called the demonstrations on January 6th a “D-Day in DC” for Trump.
The DLCC has called on all state legislators who participated in the demonstrations on January 6th to resign. The committee has also compiled a database of every Republican legislator who was in Washington as well as every lawmaker who spread misinformation about voter fraud or sought to overturn the results of the election in the GOP Hall of Shame: Sedition Edition. Every GOP lawmaker who is complicit in the violent assault on our democracy must be held accountable.
###
