“I cannot vote to expel Rep. Courser or Rep. Gamrat because I do not feel that I have all the information to make the very important decision to expel two people from the House of Representatives. The select committee met, but Democratic members’ attempts to question witnesses were shut down, their request to subpoena former staffers to testify was rejected, and a request for an independent investigation was refused. Expelling representatives means that we are taking away the vote of the people who elected them. That is why this is such a momentous action, and why we need to have a transparent process leading up to this vote. Testimony given in committee was stricken from the record. The two staffers who worked for Reps. Courser and Gamrat were never called by the committee to testify under oath. The 800-page report was given to us at the last minute, and we have not had enough time to read it and consider the evidence. I don’t condone what Reps. Courser and Gamrat have done, and expulsion is most likely the right action. I was not sent here to play politics. I was sent here to push for a more accountable and transparent government. But I can’t vote to expel them until the committee does its due diligence and answers all the questions we still have. Only then will we be able to take a vote that will truly restore confidence in this institution.”