“The qualifications for U.S. Senators are not discretionary.”
Correspondence from Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) sent today to the leadership of the U.S. Senate is urging a full review of Laphonza Butler’s constitutional eligibility before any consideration of seating her to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein. “The Senate has a solemn duty to consider and determine whether its Members meet the Constitutional requirements to serve in its body,” he said.
Rep. Issa also wrote to Governor Gavin Newsom, stating: “Of the tens of millions of Californians you could have chosen to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat, you apparently opted for a Maryland resident.”
Rep. Issa’s letters and urgent requests to the Senate were featured in a Fox News Digital exclusive report that outlined both his constitutional concerns and the fact “It appears Ms. Butler is not an elector of California as required by the California Elections Code, nor is she an inhabitant of that state as required by the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, recent reporting indicates that Ms. Butler lives in Maryland and listed her address as being in Silver Spring, Maryland, in Federal Election Commission filings this year. Ms. Butler is also currently registered to vote in Maryland,” he said.
Rep. Issa also posed several questions to Newsom that he requested be answered no later than this week.
“We’re talking about 38 million Californians who have an absolute right to have somebody who puts California first – not who puts Maryland first.”
Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 48th Congressional District. The District encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Temecula, Murrieta, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.
