Mr. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, right, and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Are attending the Dirksen Building on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at the marking of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Judicial Nominations and the Law of modernization of online content policy.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
Seven Democratic senators filed a formal complaint Thursday urging the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate People’s Party Senate efforts Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley to overturn the results of the presidential election.
The denunciation comes more than two weeks after the deadly January 6 insurgency at the U.S. Capitol led by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
“Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley gave legitimacy to President Trump’s false statements about election fraud by announcing that they would oppose voter certification on Jan. 6,” the senators wrote in a letter to committee leaders of Senate Ethics Chris Coons, D-Del., and James Lankford, R-Okla.
Cruz, a Texas Republican, signed a written objection to certify Arizona votes toward the start of the joint session to count the election votes on Jan. 6, sparking a debate in both houses. Then, pro-Trump riots stormed the Capitol and lawmakers evacuated.
After the Capitol was secured and lawmakers resumed the session, Cruz and Hawley, along with other Senate Republicans, voted against the results of the Arizona Electoral College, even when others who had planned to oppose -they decided to vote for certification after the deadly attack.
Hawley, of Missouri, also continued with his previously announced plan to sign a written objection to Pennsylvania’s election votes. Cruz and Hawley voted against accepting Pennsylvania’s election results.
“In proceeding with their objections to voters after the violent attack, Senators Cruz and Hawley gave legitimacy to the mafia cause and made future violence more likely,” the senators said in the letter.
The letter is signed by Mr. 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.
In the letter, senators ask Coons and Lankford to investigate whether Cruz and Hawley’s actions constitute “misconduct” or otherwise violate the Senate’s code of ethics.
Hawley, in a statement issued Thursday in response to the complaint, said: “Joe Biden and Democrats speak of unity, but blatantly try to silence dissent. This latest effort is a flagrant abuse of the Senate’s ethical process and a flagrant attempt. of exacting partisan revenge. “
The Cruz, Coons and Lankford offices did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Following the Capitol uprising, Cruz and Hawley issued statements condemning the violence.
“The attack on the Capitol was a despicable act of terrorism and a shocking attack on our democratic system,” Cruz said in a January 7 press release.
“These acts of violence were criminal. They must be convicted,” Hawley said in a statement Jan. 8.
Hawley was criticized after he was seen greeting protesters outside the Capitol with his fist raised before the joint session began. Publisher Simon & Schuster announced on January 7 that it will stop publishing Hawley’s next book, although the senator has found a new publisher.
Trump faces a second impeachment trial in the Senate, though he is now out of office. The Democratic-controlled House indicted Trump on Jan. 13 on charges of inciting Capitol insurgency.
Lawmakers have also called for further investigations into the riot. On January 16, the Democratic-led House sent a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray and other agency heads seeking information on the intelligence and security failures that led to the breach of the Chapters. On Thursday, the house’s supervisory chair, Carolyn Maloney, DN.Y., asked Wray to analyze the role Parler played on social media in the attack.
Five people lost their lives as a result of the insurgency, including a Capitol police officer.