FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2023
PHOENIX – House Democratic Leader Andrés Cano released the following statement regarding today's vote to expel Representative Liz Harris.
“This is a sad day for our institution. But it is a necessary day. There has been real damage done to the lives and reputations of people who did not deserve it. Most importantly, the integrity of this House has been jeopardized.
Misinformation, lies, and conspiracies are not harmless, and it's not just politics. The defamatory allegations that Representative Harris' invited her guest speaker to make are patently absurd, but there are many people who believe them. They believe the lies, and they continue to threaten retribution because we dispute them. They believe those lies because a State Representative, Liz Harris, platformed and legitimized them in a televised legislative hearing – where they were immediately picked up by partisan media and social media influencers -- and then she congratulated her guest speaker as 'brave' for her presentation.
The integrity of our institution was damaged in that moment. That damage continues to accumulate, and for that there must be accountability.
I want to thank the House Ethics Committee for taking this matter seriously, and for upholding their duty to gather facts and evidence. That evidence is clear – a member of this House plotted, and then repeatedly lied to advance false and defamatory allegations in a televised legislative hearing. She lied about her role in this effort to mainstream a conspiracy that a federal judge had already labeled as 'delusional.'
Representative Harris's actions were reckless and unbecoming of any elected official -- and the repercussions of this behavior are beyond comprehension. I hope that this action will help restore integrity and honor to this Chamber."
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