Rep. Mondaire Jones is planning a component deux of his private distant work program.
The Hudson Valley-based Democratic lawmaker submitted a request Wednesday to once more designate a Home colleague to vote on his behalf — simply as The Submit printed an expose exhibiting he forged votes from France whereas citing the COVID-19-induced “public well being emergency,” information present.
Jones didn’t say precisely when he could be taking off, however his letter to the Home clerk dated June 15 used an identical wording to the one he despatched in 2021 to keep away from needing to be in D.C. to vote as he took a summer time sojourn.
“I'm unable to bodily attend proceedings within the Home Chamber as a result of ongoing public well being emergency, and I hereby grant the authority to forged my vote by proxy to the Honorable Mark Takano (California), who has agreed to function my proxy,” he wrote alongside his signature.
The letter was posted on-line late Wednesday, the identical day The Submit revealed that Jones has posed in glamorous social media images of his journey to France for actress Issa Rae’s wedding ceremony whereas assigning a Georgia rep to vote for him in Congress.
Whereas it wasn’t clear when precisely Jones could be “unable to bodily attend proceedings,” on-line information present he was on the town the day the letter was despatched, as he voted in individual on six Home payments Wednesday.
Different information reveal that the wannabe New York Metropolis-based lawmaker submitted a request for colleagues to forged votes on his behalf on three different events over the past 30 days, together with on Monday.
Although the June 15 one is listed as an “energetic” proxy letter, a spokesperson for Jones wouldn't disclose when he'll vote remotely sooner or later, if ever. The Home is scheduled to carry votes on Tuesday by way of Friday of subsequent week.
The rep for Jones declined to remark, when requested if the prolific proxy practitioner submitted his new requests for a COVID-19 pandemic-related cause.
The marketing campaign spokesperson, Invoice Neidhardt, additionally spun information on Jones’ newest requests to vote whereas not in individual as proof of his boss’ standing because the “progressive frontrunner” within the race to symbolize the Large Apple district.
“The truth that the New York Submit is obsessing over Mondaire Jones’ proxy votes from New York Metropolis when over 80% of members of Congress have voted by proxy solely proves that Mondaire Jones is the progressive frontrunner for New York’s tenth district and conservatives will attempt something to tear him down,” he mentioned.
US Rep. Mike Gallagher — a Wisconsin Republican who in March 2021 proposed laws to finish proxy voting — cited Jones’ jet-setting for example of why the Home leaders ought to eliminate the follow.
“Whereas the French Riviera isn't any Door County, it’s nonetheless the final place a Member of Congress needs to be whereas Congress is in session. Democrats declare they proxy vote due to the ‘ongoing public well being disaster,’ nevertheless it’s clear proxy voting is de facto nearly avoiding their job and taking an prolonged European trip,” he advised The Submit in a ready assertion.
“Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi wants to finish the unconstitutional follow of proxy voting instantly and get Congress again to work.”
Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) ripped Jones for his misuse of proxy voting, whereas echoing Republicans’ calls for to take an ax to it.
“Home Democrats’ reckless multi-trillion greenback spending fueled inflation and left People paying extra for almost every thing,” he mentioned in a press release. “However as a substitute of exhibiting as much as work on the problems that matter to his constituents, Rep. Mondaire Jones purchased a airplane ticket to the French Riviera — utilizing Speaker Pelosi’s COVID guidelines to skip work and vote by proxy from Europe.”
“Pelosi’s guidelines have damaged the establishment of the Home — a Republican majority would finish these guidelines and restore the Individuals’s Home.”
A rep for Pelosi didn't reply to requests for remark issued Wednesday and Thursday.
Distant voting has turn into commonplace within the Home, the place it’s been permitted since Might 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Pelosi (D-Calif.) subsequently prolonged the follow in March and once more in Might, regardless of different pandemic-related laws already being yanked. At present, the allowance — initially enacted partially to permit COVID-19-stricken federal legislators to vote — is about to be in impact within the chamber by way of June 28.
Jones — who at the moment represents Rockland County and elements of north Westchester — is just not even probably the most frequent participant in proxy voting amongst members of New York’s congressional delegation.
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Lengthy Island), a gubernatorial candidate, assigned a colleague to vote for him 118 instances within the 125 roll name votes held within the decrease chamber between Jan. 10 and April 7, a Spectrum Information NY1 evaluation printed June 3 revealed.
About 80% of members of the Home had chosen to vote remotely by way of mid-December 2021, in keeping with the Brookings Establishment.
Work-from-home legislating has been a bipartisan follow.
Regardless of the occasion’s opposition to utilizing it, greater than 140 of the 213 Republican Home reps have chosen a proxy to forged their vote at the least one time in the course of the 117th Congress by way of Dec. 10, 2021, the suppose tank’s stats present.
However on Wednesday, Jones made the head-scratching resolution to request a pinch voter on the identical day The Submit printed an article documenting the bevy of votes he handed off to US Rep. Nikema Williams, a Democrat from Georgia, whereas he frolicked in France for the HBO present co-creator’s wedding ceremony.
The Submit first contacted his marketing campaign with inquiries on Tuesday morning, and the story was printed on-line at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Following the turbulent redistricting course of, the Pelosi-backed pol threw his beret within the ring within the race to symbolize New York’s newly configured tenth Congressional District, quite than run within the suburban district in opposition to Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.
The 2-borough district contains elements of Decrease Manhattan and principally prosperous neighborhoods in Brownstone Brooklyn, together with Borough Park and a part of Prospect Heights. The competition is with out an incumbent, as a result of Rep. Jerry Nadler selected to compete in opposition to Rep. Carolyn Maloney of the Higher East Aspect for New York’s twelfth Congressional District.
Within the August Democratic major, the Nyack native will face a packed subject of contenders, together with former Mayor Invoice de Blasio, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon — all of whom have in latest reminiscence represented elements of the district.
Elizabeth Holtzman — the primary lady metropolis comptroller, a four-term congresswoman and Brooklyn district lawyer — Daniel Goldman, the Democrats’ lead lawyer within the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump, and Chinese language dissident Yan Xiong, have additionally entered the competition.
A spokesperson for Simon advised The Submit that the state lawmaker from Brownstone Brooklyn “is happy with her excellent voting report over the past 7 years within the New York State Meeting” whereas taking a swipe at Jones.
“Casting your vote, and standing up in your constituents, is among the most essential duties of an elected consultant,” the rep mentioned. “Jo Anne is a critical legislator, with a sensational attendance report, and will probably be there for the folks of NY10 as she has been day-after-day as a area people activist after which as an Assemblymember.”
Former Brooklyn Democratic Occasion head Frank Seddio slammed Mondaire Jones’ votes from France as a “transgression” that the Democrats he’s searching for to symbolize ought to keep in mind after they head to the polls on Aug. 23.
“I assumed this man was God’s present to America. I assumed he was speculated to be pure,” scoffed Seddio.
“It’s outrageous. He deceived the folks so he can selfishly take pleasure in himself whereas voting from the French Riviera,” he advised The Submit on Thursday. “It’s not what I need to see from my congressman. It’s not what a congressman ought to do.”
“It is a congressman who was afraid to run for re-election in his personal district and got here to Brooklyn,” added the ex-party boss. “No thanks.”
Extra reporting by Carl Campanile and Callie Patteson
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