Local Republicans censure Cheney

The Crook County Republican Party has voted to censure U.S. Representative Liz Cheney for her recent actions in supporting the impeachment of ex-President Donald Trump.

“Like a lot of the counties around the state, we are disappointed in her decision,” says Roget Connett, Chairman of the local party. “It was unanimous on the vote.”

Cheney has attracted criticism from Republicans across Wyoming who do not feel she was representing this state’s interests when she voted, alongside nine other House Republicans, in favor of the second impeachment of Trump. Following the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, she announced her intention to do in the following statement:

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” 

The majority of the county’s 34 precinct men and women were present for the vote at last week’s meeting. The censure resolution does not have legal ramifications for Cheney; rather, it is a way to express the party’s feelings on the matter.

“A censure is just a way of letting her know we’re not happy with her and we’re not happy with what she did,” explains Connett, who says he has heard from numerous members of the community who feel negatively about her decision.

“It lets her know that her constituents are very unhappy with her and I think they’re pretty much doing this in most of the counties in the state.”

The resolution states that Cheney “ignored and violated caucus rules by disclosing her intent to join the Democrat Party’s proposed move to vote for impeachment to the media prior to having any evidence presented to the body.” It complains that she voted in favor of impeachment despite there being no formal hearing, presentation of evidence, testimony from witnesses or questioning of accusers.

The resolution points out that an “extremely vocal majority of Wyoming Republicans” believes the election was rigged and states that, “Ample video evidence suggests the riot at the capital was instigated by Antifa and BLM radicals, and FBI sources have revealed they have, and have had, evidence the incursion was planned weeks in advance.”

The resolution accuses Cheney of causing “numerous” Republicans to either step down from their precinct representative positions or change their voter registration entirely, or until Cheney no longer holds office. It demands she appear before the Crook County Republican Party to explain her and pledges to withhold any future political funding from her.

The Wyoming Republican Party meets as a whole this weekend, at which time Connett expects a statewide resolution to be passed to censure Cheney’s actions.