Attorney General Phil Weiser leads coalition of 50 state and territorial attorneys general in condemning the violent U.S. Capitol riot, calls for president’s impeachment
Jan. 13, 2021 (DENVER, Colo.)— Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser today led a bipartisan coalition of 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia that sent a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen, condemning the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and stating such actions cannot be allowed to go unchecked. Weiser also called for the impeachment of the current president.
The letter, led by Weiser, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, condemns the lawless violence on Jan. 6 and calls for accountability for such actions.
“Last week’s attack on the Congress and the U.S. Capitol was aimed at the foundation of our democratic republic itself and the very concept of the peaceful transition of power. To those who break the law or seek to undermine the very foundations of our nation, we must make clear that there are boundaries one cannot cross and that lawbreakers will be held accountable,” said Weiser.
After dozens of failed and dismissed legal challenges, the current president pressured election officials to fabricate vote totals and he urged Congress to overturn the results of a free and fair election. Most shockingly, he encouraged a mob to invade the U.S. Capitol to stop the certification of the electoral vote count and undermine the peaceful transition of power, leading to the destruction of government property and the death of a U.S. Capitol Police officer. For these actions, Weiser said the president must be impeached and removed from office.
“The president continues to abuse his power and act without regard for the law, for his office, or for decency towards others. We are left with no other option: this president must be impeached and removed from office,” said Weiser. “We need to heal as a nation, but accountability must be part of that healing process. As we move forward, we need to rebuild based on a shared understanding of the truth, respect for our democratic institutions, justice, the Rule of Law, and a collective commitment to working towards a more perfect union,” Weiser said.
Colorado was joined by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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