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On Wednesday, April 12, former Republican lawmaker Liz Harris was expelled from the Arizona House of Representatives for inviting a QAnon conspiracy theorist to a committee hearing. According to the Guardian, in February 2023, Harris provided a platform to local insurance agent Jacqueline Breger, who accused American politicians of illegally receiving bribes from drug cartels.
In response to Liz Haris' actions, Arizona politicians claimed that she undermined State institutions and did not carry out the proper procedures before inviting someone who made 'unvetted' allegations. While Liz Harris claimed that she did not know Breger would be leveling serious accusations against various elected representatives, text messages provided by an anonymous source reportedly proved that she had planned the incident. A 46-13 vote determined that she would be removed.
Liz Harris is a former real estate agent
According to The Arizona Mirror, Liz Harris, a Republican politician, is known to endorse various conspiracy theories. She is also known for her association with other promoters of QAnon conspiracy theories, including message Board operator Ron Watkins.
A real estate agent, Harris formally began her political career in 2020 when she unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Arizona legislature. In November 2022, she was elected to the Statehouse. She eventually represented the Pheonix suburb of Chandler.
After gaining a platform, she began to claim that the Arizona State elections had been rigged by Democrats. According to KPNX, she also supposedly refused to cast a vote unless the re-elections were carried out once more.
While she would always challenge government institutions, the February 2023 incident was considered the last straw. Text messages exchanged between Liz Harris and Jacqueline Breger indicated that the politician was collaborating with the conspiracy theorist and that she was fully aware that the speech made by Breger would be inflammatory.
In one text, Breger said to Harris:
“(I am) trying to think of something that won’t raise a red flag”
Alexander Kolodin, a Republican colleague of Harris', disagreed with the expulsion. He said dismissing Harris for promoting conspiracy theories would only provide credence to the allegations. He further said that among QAnon supporters, the move would be considered a sign that politicians believe her claims could be valid. Kolodin said:
“(The expulsion) gives credit to these awful allegations and makes her a martyr for them."
According to the Independent, however, Breger's claims were considered illegitimate as she provided no concrete evidence. As per politicians who voted to expel Harris, presenting accusations without claims is infringing on the rights of elected leaders.
Arizona law states that Harris must be replaced by another Republican politician. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has not yet announced who will take her place.
