Ariz. state rep. sues state Democrats for defamation

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 3:00 PM PT – Monday, March 1, 2021

Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem (R) is suing Democrat members of the state House and Senate for defamation. He announced the suit during an interview at CPAC this weekend.

In a letter to the FBI, state Democrats accused Finchem of playing a key role in stirring up the Capitol breach after he delivered an evidence package to Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) on January 6.

Find Rep. @AthenaSalman’s House Resolution 2006to expel Rep. Mark Finchem for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection against our nation’s government here:https://t.co/LZnbj2Cu2U

— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) February 8, 2021

Lawmakers also claimed some tweets Finchem posted that same day were meant to rile up protesters. However, the Arizona Republican called those claims false, and said by reporting the unfounded allegations to the media, his Democrat colleagues engaged in “criminal malice.”

“As a result of that and the news media coverage of what happened at the Capitol, they engaged in this fallacious behavior. So we decided to begin the process of suing each and every member who is on that list, who signed onto the letter, because 100 percent of them signed on,” Finchem explained. “We plan to not only sue members, but we’re also going to be suing the news media as well, because they’re the ones who propagated this whole false narrative.”

Finchem said he was scheduled to speak at a “Stop the Steal” event at the Capitol on January 6, but organizers canceled soon after the protest began.

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