The North Carolina Republican Party is saying it will vote later Monday on whether to censure GOP Sen. Richard Burr for voting to convict former President Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial.
Burr was among seven Republicans who crossed the aisle and voted with all 50 Democrats to convict Trump on the one House charge of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
But Trump was acquitted because the 57-43 margin fell far short of the 67 votes necessary to convict.
A spokesman for the North Carolina Republican Party said in a statement late Sunday that the central committee would meet Monday evening for the vote.
After the impeachment trial came to a close on Saturday, North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley blasted Burr.
“North Carolina Republicans sent Senator Burr to the United States Senate to uphold the Constitution and his vote today to convict in a trial that he declared unconstitutional is shocking and disappointing,” Whatley said in a statement.
Burr, who announced in 2016 that he would not seek re-election in 2022, defended his decision.
“The president promoted unfounded conspiracy theories to cast doubt on the integrity of a free and fair election because he did not like the results … [and] when the crowd became violent, the President used his office to first inflame the situation instead of immediately calling for an end to the assault,” he said Saturday.
Burr voted to convict Trump along with Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy on Saturday.
“The Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Louisiana has unanimously voted to censure Senator Bill Cassidy for his vote cast earlier today to convict former President Donald J. Trump on the impeachment charge,” the party said in a statement late Saturday.
Murkowski is the only one of the seven who will run for re-election in 2022.
With Post wires
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