NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Lawmakers from across the country are weighing in on the recent expulsions of Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. They're calling on The Department of Justice to investigate any wrongdoing.
They want to know whether the US Constitution or federal civil rights laws were violated. This week both Jones and Pearson have since been re-appointed to office.
Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock from Georgia and Chuck Schumer from New York are leading these efforts. They're asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate what happened here in Nashville when Jones and Pearson were voted out.
In the Senator's letter to the DOJ, they said this expulsion marked the first time the Tennessee legislature expelled members solely over procedural violation, and that allowing such behavior sets a dangerous and undemocratic precedent.
Jones and Pearson were expelled after leading a protest on the House floor during a session calling for stricter gun control.
If any wrongdoing is found with their expulsion, lawmakers want the DOJ to take all steps necessary to uphold the democratic integrity of the nation’s legislative bodies. The letter also asks for an investigation into the potential violation of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race.
The Senators have asked for a response by the end of the month.
