Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley: Senate Democrats Call for Ethical Inquiry into Cruz and Hawley over Capitol Riot

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“The Senate Ethics Committee should open an investigation into the actions of Senators Hawley and Cruz, and possibly others, as the investigation may reveal, in order to protect the integrity, security and reputation of the Senate, ”said Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sherrod Brown of Ohio wrote in the complaint.

“The question the Senate must answer is not whether Senators Hawley and Cruz had the right to object to voters, but whether Senators did not.”[p]loyalty to the highest moral principles and to the country above loyalty to any person, party or government service ‘or engaged in’ inappropriate conduct reflecting the Senate ‘in connection with the January 6 violence Democrats wrote, citing the Civil Service Code of Ethics and Senate Ethics Manual.

In their letter to panel leaders, Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, the seven senators also asked the committee to make disciplinary recommendations, “including until deportation or censorship”.

In a statement Thursday, Hawley called the complaint “a flagrant abuse of the Senate ethics process and a blatant attempt at partisan revenge.”

“Democrats appear determined to militarize all the tools at their disposal – including pushing an unconstitutional impeachment process – to further divide the country,” said the Republican of Missouri, referring to the House’s impeachment of the president. Donald Trump era earlier this month, which will then go to the Senate.

A spokesperson for Cruz accused the seven Democrats of “playing political games by filing frivolous ethics complaints against their colleagues”.

“Senator Cruz debated a question of law and policy in the Senate, he had it expressly supported by 11 other senators, and he used a process to raise the objection that was explicitly authorized by federal law for nearly 150 years, “the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that” Cruz immediately condemned the January 6 terrorist attack on the Capitol, calling for all those who stormed the Capitol to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law “.

The complaint comes as authorities are investigating hundreds of people in connection with the deadly pro-Trump riot on Capitol Hill, including possible links to high-ranking Republicans who cheered them on.
Federal prosecutors said earlier this month that they were examining everyone involved in the riot, including the role Trump played in instigating it. District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine warned on Sunday that Trump could be charged by city prosecutors with “misdemeanor, up to six months in jail,” amid the fallout from the insurgency.

Hawley announced on December 30 that he would oppose the Electoral College certification process, defying Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Nearly a dozen other Republican lawmakers, including Cruz, later announced that they too would oppose it. But some have changed their minds after the violence on January 6 at noon – something the Seven Democrats noted in their complaint.

“By pursuing their objections to voters after the violent attack, Senators Cruz and Hawley gave legitimacy to the mob cause and made future violence more likely,” the Democratic Senators wrote.

The Seven Democrats wrote on Thursday that “the Senate has the exclusive power to determine whether (Hawley’s and Cruz’s) actions violated its ethics rules, to investigate other behavior that we may not be aware and who could have violated these rules, and to consider appropriate discipline. “

They urged investigators to probe questions, including whether Hawley, Cruz or members of their offices or campaigns “were in contact or coordinated with the organizers of the rally”, “knew of the plans for the event” or “received funding. organizations or donors who also funded the rally. “

Whitehouse, one of the Seven Democrats, told CNN Thursday afternoon that he sent the letter because “we need to clarify exactly what happened.”

“The only place to do this effectively is in the Senate, because you cannot trust the executive agencies to conduct this investigation because they are on the wrong side of the separation of powers,” he added. .

Hawley, who is expected to fuel 2024 presidential ambitions, has borne the brunt of the blame for initiating the actions that led thousands of Trump supporters to storm the Capitol complex and force the House and Senate to shut down emergency. Hawley had offered pro-Trump protesters standing outside Capitol a raised fist salute as he entered the Senate early that day.
The Simon & Schuster publishing house has dropped its next book, which will now be published by conservative publisher Regnery Publishing. Several large companies, including Blue Cross Blue Shield and Citigroup, have announced that they are stopping donations to Hawley and other Republicans who opposed the electoral college votes. Luxury hotel chain Loews Hotel Group has since canceled a fundraiser for Hawley, saying it is opposed to “all those who supported and incited” the deadly riot on Capitol Hill.
The Democratic Senators’ complaint also cites former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri, Hawley’s former mentor, who told the New York Times that “crediting Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen is an extremely destructive attack on our constitutional government “.
Danforth, whose support was central for Hawley winning his 2018 Republican primary, called backing him “the worst mistake I’ve ever made in my life” earlier this month.

This story was updated with a statement from a spokesperson for Senator Ted Cruz.

CNN’s Manu Raju, Ali Zaslav, Dan Merica, Paul LeBlanc, Katelyn Polantz and Rebecca Grandahl contributed to this report.

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