Siblings of Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) have called for action from the GOP against their brother, citing his links to white nationalists, his COVID-19 denial and role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection, among other wrongdoings.
“Although his colleagues in Congress and others in the media seem to only recently be paying attention, we have been aware of his unhinged behavior for years,” wrote Jennifer, Dave and Tim Gosar in an op-ed published by NBC News on Sunday.
“Have you no sense of decency, Paul?” they continued, pointing to his false claims about coronavirus while it was ravaging his state, his repeated participation in and involvement with white nationalist events, support for the racist “birther” conspiracy theory and dedicated efforts to spread former president Donald Trump’s big lie.
“It seems, in fact, that you are immune to shame,” they continued. “In addition to betraying your family and causing irreparable damage to the relationships within it, you decided to betray your country by helping incite the Jan. 6 domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol.”
Gosar was heavily involved in spreading conspiracy theories protesting the election result, and has defended the violent insurrectionists that subsequently stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 as “peaceful patriots.” He was among 20 House Republicans who voted against awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the officers who defended them.
The Gosar siblings also highlighted the lawmaker’s friendly relationship with Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist figurehead and Holocaust denier.
“Maybe you don’t know how you got to this very dark place, Paul,” his siblings wrote. “Unfortunately, we have some ideas. Maybe it’s because you’re in way over your head in Congress and don’t have the intellect, character or maturity to be in that leadership role.
“Maybe your lifelong, insecure need for the approval of others caused you to sacrifice your common decency and integrity to satisfy Trump and his followers in order to keep your seat.”
Gosar’s brothers and sisters have repeatedly spoken out against him. In 2018, six of his nine siblings endorsed his opponent in a series of ads warning against Gosar’s character.
They urged him in Sunday’s article to resign, though noted it was unlikely.
“This means unless your colleagues step in, you are likely doomed to go down in history as a cautionary tale: a person who betrayed his family, his country and even himself,” they said.
His siblings have previously called for his expulsion from Congress, though that, too, seems improbable. Congress has only expelled 20 members in its history. And despite Gosar’s appalling record, his Republican colleagues have been loath to condemn his actions.
Read the full op-ed on NBC News.