READING, Pa. - Berks County Republicans appear poised to join many of their counterparts across Pennsylvania in voicing their displeasure with the state's junior U.S. senator.
Clay Breece, chairman of the Berks County Republican Committee, told 69 News on Tuesday that the local party plans to censure Sen. Pat Toomey for his vote to convict Donald Trump during his impeachment trial.
Breece said party members plan to address the issue during an upcoming meeting.
The state's Republican Party also is considering a censure of Toomey, one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump of "incitement of insurrection" following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Toomey — who is not running for re-election in 2022 — last Tuesday voted to back the constitutionality of the impeachment trial before voting to convict. Toomey's aides have not commented directly on the backlash growing against Toomey, but pointed back to his comments about his vote.
In his comments, Toomey excoriated Trump for a "dishonest, systematic" effort to convince supporters that he had won the election, pressuring state and local officials to reverse the election outcome and, ultimately, summoning thousands of supporters to Washington, D.C., where he "inflamed their passions by repeating disproven allegations about widespread fraud."
"He urged the mob to march on the Capitol for the explicit purpose of preventing Congress and the vice president from formally certifying the results of the presidential election," Toomey said.
Ultimately, Trump was acquitted of the charge because the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.
Some Republican county chairs said they believe a couple of dozen or two county parties have voted to censure Toomey, and more are moving in that direction.
York County's Republican Party voted to censure Toomey on Saturday, and the resolution's sponsor, state Rep. Dawn Keefer, said the county party "has reached the limits of its frustration" with Toomey, complaining that Toomey "sat silently" as Democrats attacked Trump for four years.
