The top Senate Republican campaign official said Monday that the Senate should move to expel Roy Moore should he manage to win the special election next week for senator from Alabama.
“I believe the individuals speaking out against Roy Moore spoke with courage and truth, proving he is unfit to serve in the United States Senate and he should not run for office,” said Sen. Cory Gardner, Colorado Republican. “If he refuses to withdraw and wins, the Senate should vote to expel him, because he does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate.”
It’s the furthest any Republican has gone in rejecting Mr. Moore, a former Alabama chief justice who has been accused by multiple women of pursuing relationships with them when they were teens as young as 14, and he was a lawyer in his 30s. One woman told The Washington Post of Mr. Moore’s unwanted sexual contact when she was 14.
Expelling a senator is a striking move, and the last ones to be successfully ousted came during the Civil War, when southerners were expelled for rebelling against the U.S.
The most recent expulsion case was brought against then-Sen. Bob Packwood. The Republican resigned a day after the Senate ethics committee recommended punishment for “sexual misconduct,” and his case never reached full expulsion.
Mr. Moore has denied the allegations against him, and has said he will remain in the race. Earlier Monday, after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told him to drop out, Mr. Moore said it was Mr. McConnell who should leave.
Mr. Moore is running against Democratic candidate Doug Jones to fill the seat of Jeff Sessions, who gave up the seat to become attorney general earlier this year.
Mr. Moore won a GOP primary against stiff opposition from Republicans in Washington.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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