By Ronald J. Hansen | Arizona Republic
A group seeking to bar those it blames for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol from seeking further office helped file lawsuits Thursday against U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, as well as state Rep. Mark Finchem.
It is part of a similar — and so far unsuccessful — effort in other states against U.S. Reps. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
The challenges against the Arizona Republicans are rooted in a provision of the 14th Amendment adopted after the Civil War that disqualifies from Congress those who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or aided those who did. Finchem, R-Oro Valley, should be disqualified in his bid for Arizona secretary of state because he already broke his oath to the U.S. Constitution as a state lawmaker, the group argues in its case against him.
