Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado Republican, has stirred up Democratic lawmakers whom she targeted in remarks on the House floor during the debate over the censure of Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican.
Republicans and Democrats took to the House floor Wednesday and sparred over whether an anime-style video that Mr. Gosar posted online, portraying a sword-fighting battle where he appears to kill Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, deserved a censure and that he be removed from his committees.
Ms. Boebert criticized the censure resolution, which was approved on a party-line vote, calling it a “dumb waste of the House’s time.” She went after Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters, California Democrat, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, California Democrat, listing past issues associated with each lawmaker.
“The jihad squad member from Minnesota has paid her husband and not her brother-husband, the other one over $1 million dollars in campaign funds. This member is allowed on the Foreign Affairs Committee while praising terrorists,” Ms. Boebert said, referencing an unconfirmed accusation that Ms. Omar married her brother.
She went on, “A Democrat chairwoman incited further violence in the streets, outside of a courthouse,” a reference to Ms. Waters, who encouraged a crowd of protesters in Minnesota in April to “stay in the street” and be “more confrontational” if former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was acquitted of killing George Floyd.
The Colorado Republican added of Mr. Swalwell, “And then the cherry on top. My colleague and three-month presidential candidate from California, who is on the intelligence committee, slept with Fang Fang, a Chinese spy. Let me say that again. A member of Congress who received classified briefings was sleeping with the enemy, this is unacceptable.”
Mr. Swalwell, in a tweet, responded, “Weird. If I had done anything wrong the FBI would have raided my house. They didn’t (and went as far to issue a statement saying I did nothing wrong). BUT yesterday they did raid the home of @laurenboebert’s campaign manager. They’re always projecting.”
Mr. Swalwell was allegedly compromised by Chinese spy Fang Fang, who is also known as Christine Fang. The scandal broke almost a year ago and Republicans called for Mr. Swalwell to be stripped of his Intelligence Committee post.
Ms. Omar shot back at Ms. Boebert in a tweet saying, “Luckily my dad raised me right, otherwise I might have gone to the floor to talk about this insurrectionist who sleeps with a pervert. I am grateful I was raised to be a decent human and not a deprived person who shamefully defecates & defiles the House of Representatives.”
FBI agents in Colorado on Tuesday raided the home of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was involved in an investigation of voter fraud in the 2020 election. They also searched the homes of three of her associates, including Sherrona Bishop, who had worked as Ms. Boebert’s campaign manager.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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