State senator: Arizonans should know if Biggs, Gosar had role in Capitol riots
Jan 15, 2021, 4:25 AM
U.S. Reps. of Arizona Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar. (Facebook Photos)
(Facebook Photos)
PHOENIX – A Democratic state senator said Arizonans deserve to know if U.S. Reps. of Arizona Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs played a role in the riots at the U.S. Capitol last week.
“I think it’s only fair that everybody here in Arizona know were these men involved, were they involved directly,” Arizona Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos & Chad on Thursday.
“We have one of the guys who helped put the whole thing together just point blank saying that he had been working with Biggs and Gosar so I think it’s important that we get down to the truth.”
Rios was one of eight Arizona Democratic legislators who signed a letter to Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
RELATED STORIES
The letter asked authorities to investigate Biggs and Gosar, as well as state Rep. Mark Finchem and former state Rep. Anthony Kern, over their alleged connection to the Capitol siege last week.
Violent pro-President Donald Trump protesters breached the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers worked to certify the results of the presidential election. Hours later, authorities secured the building and legislatures were able to finish the certification.
The letter cites reports that Biggs and Gosar helped pro-Trump activist Ali Alexander, along with Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, organize the rally that lead up to the attack on the Capitol.
There has also been evidence from social media, videos and interviews that Biggs, Gosar, Finchem and Kern were at the Capitol amid the riots.
Rios said if the men in questioning were not involved with coordinating the attempted insurrection at the Capitol, then an investigation shouldn’t be an issue.
“If these men are not concerned that they weren’t actively involved, then I would assume they would welcome an investigation to clear their names,” Rios said.
She added that if they did have any involvement in the actions at the nation’s Capitol, it begs the question if they’re really the representatives that should be serving Arizona.
“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of concern that if in fact we have elected officials at the state level and at the congressional level that were in any way supporting a coup on our democracy or actively participating in this attempted insurrection that they be held accountable,” Rios said.
