Ohio Republican Party censures U.S. Rep. Gonzalez for voting to impeach Trump

[May 08, 2021]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Anthony Gonzalez on Friday joined a growing list of lawmakers being censured by state Republican Party officials for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) attends a House Financial Services Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Treasury Department's and Federal Reserve's Pandemic Response" in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, U.S., December 2, 2020. Greg Nash/Pool via REUTERS

Gonzalez, a two-term lawmaker from Ohio and former professional football player, was also called upon by the Ohio Republican Party to resign his seat in Congress, as Trump reasserts his grip on the party.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Paduchik said in a statement that the action against Gonzalez "addresses an unconstitutional, politically motivated process that served no purpose," apparently referring to the House impeachment of Trump.

Last January, Gonzalez was one of 10 House Republicans voting to impeach Trump for his role in inciting a riot on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol, which resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer. Trump supporters were attempting to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory as president.

Weeks later, the Senate acquitted Trump on a vote of 57-43, short of the two-thirds majority needed for a conviction. Seven Republican senators joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict the former president.

Aides to Gonzalez were not immediately available for comment.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are also scheduled to vote on whether to strip Representative Liz Cheney of her Republican leadership position for challenging Trump's false assertions that last November's presidential election was stolen from him.

Other Republicans censured include Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, who was one of the seven voting to convict Trump.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Alistair Bell)

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