Hundreds have signed an online petition criticizing Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), as well as state GOP leaders, for failing to censure the lawmaker over his vote to convict former President Donald Trump, declaring, “We, the undersigned voters, censure Senator Willard Mitt Romney.”
“Senator Willard Mitt Romney has failed, and continues to fail, to represent the average conservative Utah Republican voter,” the petition states, declaring that the Utah senator has “misrepresented himself as a Republican” and concluding that he has “prioritized his personal and political vendetta against President Donald J. Trump ahead of the Constitution of the United States, the interest of We, the People, and the advancement of the Republican Platform.”
The petition brought up Romney’s past conduct, identifying him as the only GOP senator to join Democrats in voting to convict Trump on one of the articles of impeachment during the Democrats’ failed impeachment attempt last year. It also criticized Romney for supporting the continuation of the “unconstitutional” impeachment trial of Trump by voting to allow witnesses.
“Senator Willard Mitt Romney has condoned false and misleading statements that have led the 117th Congress of the United States to further conduct an illegal and unconstitutional 2nd Impeachment proceeding against President Donald J. Trump,” the petition states, adding that Romney continues to fail to “ensure election integrity and continues to condemn those who do.”
“Whereas; the Utah Republican Party leadership has failed to issue a censure. Therefore; be it resolved that; We, the undersigned voters, censure Senator Willard Mitt Romney,” it concludes, followed by hundreds of signatures.
Little is known about the origins of the petition, as it was made with Google Forms and “does not say who is promoting the censure or how many people have signed the document,” the Hill reported.
The Utah GOP is considering censuring Romney for his conviction vote. A resolution is reportedly circulating among members, which states that the senator has failed to “represent the average conservative Utah Republican voter” — an allegation made in the viral online petition as well.
“Senator Willard Mitt Romney used and uses his senatorial power and influence to undermine Republican President Donald J. Trump,” it reads, adding that the 73-year-old senator “appears to be an agent for the Establishment Deep State.”
Romney is one of seven GOP senators who sided with Democrats and voted to convict Trump for incitement of insurrection in connection to the January 6 Capitol protest.
“After careful consideration of the respective counsels’ arguments, I have concluded that President Trump is guilty of the charge made by the House of Representatives,” he said in a formal statement, concluding that Trump “incited the insurrection against Congress by using the power of his office to summon his supporters to Washington on January 6th and urging them to march on the Capitol during the counting of electoral votes.”
Romney also accused Trump of violating his oath of office by “failing to protect the Capitol, the Vice President, and others in the Capitol.”
“Each and every one of these conclusions compels me to support conviction,” he said.
Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) joined Romney in his vote to convict Trump, who was ultimately acquitted by the Senate as it failed to reach the 67-vote threshold for a conviction.
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