JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. 鈥� House Democrats voted on Thursday to expel state Rep. Sarah Unsicker from the caucus, saying she has failed to live up to the party鈥檚 values of 鈥渋nclusiveness, tolerance and respect.鈥�
Unsicker, who until recently was running for attorney general, has been under fire from her own party for weeks following a series of social media posts that included a photo of her with a right-wing activist that the Anti-Defamation League lists as a Holocaust denier.
Both Unsicker and the activist in question refute that he is a Holocaust denier, but because of the association.
Her critics grew louder earlier this month after she said on social media that she was forwarding a 鈥渃riminal complaint鈥� to the Missouri secretary of state鈥檚 office alleging a Jewish candidate for attorney general and his family
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft released a statement on Monday regarding the complaint, saying his office has not been provided with any evidence 鈥渢hat even remotely relates to Missouri election interference.鈥�
Unsicker also drew criticism for a post published on her Substack that questioned whether and .
Democratic state Rep. Keri Ingle of Lee鈥檚 Summit said Unsicker鈥檚 actions and words 鈥渉ave helped propagate hateful, anti-Semitic and conspiratorial and racist rhetoric which has hurt people and sparked online harassment campaigns.鈥�
In a statement released Thursday, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield and six members of the Democratic leadership team said Unsicker is 鈥渇ree to choose her associations, but the caucus enjoys that same freedom.鈥�
鈥淎s a result,鈥� the statement read, 鈥淗ouse Democrats today voted to end (their) association with Rep. Unsicker by expelling her as a caucus member.鈥�
On her Substack, Unsicker in advance of the expulsion proceedings.
鈥淚 believe the charges against me are a character assassination from a wing of the party that I want nothing to do with,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚 do not believe anyone is being honest about the reasons they want to remove me from the House Democratic Caucus.鈥�
This story was originally published by the , part of the States Newsroom.
