Republican congressman runs from the press as his own party calls on him to resign for mysterious reasons: report
GOP Rep. Steve Watkins is facing calls to resign from within his own party both in Washington and in his home state of Kansas, according to a new report from The Topeka Capital-Journal.
But it's not clear, at this point, why he's being pressured to step down.
"Jim Joice, the spokesman for Watkins, said there would be no resignation," the paper reported. "Joice acknowledged widespread conversation on the topic but disputed whether GOP leaders were actually applying pressure."
The report said he ran from reporters who tried to question him after a campaign event Thursday night: "[He] bolted into a waiting vehicle and sped away."
Reporter Marcy Wheeler pointed out the peculiar optics of the GOP putting pressure on a little-known freshman congressman to resign:
Republicans have two members of Congress being prosecuted for federal crimes, and several proud racists, but Steve… https://t.co/bZvEyx6ncT— emptywheel (@emptywheel) 1566524164
We'll have to wait and see what series of events could have put Watkins in this situation. But Republican leaders apparently think it's bad — and likely to become public.
