Ethics complaint raises question on Facebook rants

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Republican Rep. Mark Finchem filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee demanding Democratic Rep. Mark Cardenas be investigated and possibly punished for writing a Facebook post that criticized Republicans for supporting the budget.

The passage of Cardenas’ post that offended Finchem stated that the budget was made up of “sweetheart deals and bribes to lawmakers in order to secure their votes” and that Cardenas’ constituents “cannot be bought or sold.”

Finchem, who has been quick to call impermissible speech this year, claimed Cardenas had violated the chamber’s Rule 19, which outlines impermissible debate, by deliberately misrepresenting his fellow lawmakers.

“Rep. Cardenas has committed disorderly conduct worthy of investigation and possible punishment,” Finchem wrote in the complaint.

The punishment for disorderly conduct in the House can be steep, and lawmakers can even be expelled from the Legislature if they’re found guilty of disorderly conduct.

In response, Cardenas kicked off the final House floor session of the year, on May 10, with a cryptic atonement to an unnamed lawmaker.