Expelling Rep. Liz Harris almost restores my faith in the Arizona Legislature (almost)

The Arizona House rose to the occasion on Wednesday, voting to expel Rep. Liz Harris for her role in smearing multiple public officials and private citizens who were accused of accepting bribes from a Mexican drug cartel.

Republicans and Democrats finally found something they could agree upon: Harris had to go.

This, after the House Ethics Committee unanimously concluded that Harris not only knew what her invited speaker was likely to say during a livestreamed February hearing on elections but that the freshman legislator actually took steps to hide the details from House leadership.

Then she lied about it to the ethics panel.

“The Committee finds that, prior to the Joint Hearing, Representative Harris knew or was at least aware that (Jacqueline) Breger would present criminal allegations at the Joint Hearing and REJECTS Representative Harris’ testimony to the contrary,” the ethics panel wrote, in one of five findings that she engaged in “disorderly behavior”.

The far-right voted against Harris' ouster

The committee’s nine-page report, issued on Tuesday, was enough to put Harris on a fast track out of the Capitol.

Naturally, the bulk of the chamber's far-right contingent had Harris' back, including House Ethics Chairman Joseph Chaplik, R-Scottsdale.

Rep. Alexander Kolodin of Scottsdale was among 13 Republicans who voted against expulsion, saying it set a bad precedent and sent a message that “if you rock the boat too much, you will get expelled.”

Actually, it set a precedent that if you scheme – without evidence – to publicly accuse dozens of people of crimes then lie about it, perhaps you don’t quite meet the ethical standards we should expect of our leaders.

County supervisors will choose her replacement

Previously: Ethics panel delays findings in Harris hearing

Harris' star witness slimed dozens of officials

Harris, a Chandler Republican and one of the Legislature’s most energetic election deniers, was allowed to hold an all-day joint legislative hearing in February, during which she could produce witnesses to talk about the many ways in which our elections were supposedly stolen.

For the last presentation of the day, she invited Breger to testify, wherein the Scottsdale insurance agent proceeded to slime dozens of public officials and private citizens, making preposterous, evidence-free claims that they all accepted bribes from the Sinaloa drug cartel.

About 30 minutes into the 40-minute smear job, Sen. Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, objected to the presentation and asked Breger who invited her to testify.

“Breger replied that Representative Harris had invited her and then Representative Harris made a gesture moving her hand across her neck and mouthed something to Breger,” the report noted.

I’m guessing we all know what Harris meant.

Harris knew in advance and lied about it

Unfortunately, for her, there’s ample evidence – in text messages, in statements from others – that Harris knew exactly what Breger would say. She even commended Breger after the hearing.

“You were brave. I knew they would shut it down,” she texted Breger, adding, “took them longer than I thought.”

The ethics panel found, among other things, that Harris:

• “Knew or was at least aware” that Breger would make criminal allegations during the hearing and lied about it to the panel.

• “Took steps to avoid compliance” with House rules that required advance disclosure of her presentation.

• Lied to the ethics panel when she said she was surprised or upset by the testimony.

“The Committee does not lightly issue this report but the findings are necessary to protect the integrity of the House,” the panel wrote, in finding that Harris’ behavior was “disorderly”.

She needed to go for that behavior

You know what was also necessary to protect the integrity of the House?

A Harris-free environment.

It’s been clear since that February hearing that Harris needed to go.

Now, about Sen. Wendy Rogers, who chaired that joint elections hearing and allowed Breger to wax on unchallenged for fully 40 minutes ... .

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Liz Harris is expelled from the Arizona House. Cue the applause