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CASS COUNTY — The Cass County GOP has made its displeasure with Congressman Fred Upton known.

The longtime congressman, first elected to represent the Sixth District in 1986, was censured by the Cass County GOP’s executive committee on Jan. 28, according to a resolution released by the committee.

The resolution, passed by majority vote in a special meeting of the Cass County Michigan Republican Party Executive Committee last week, censures Upton for his decision to support the impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

A censure is a formal statement of disapproval that can have a strong impact on a member and his/her relationships in the House. This is the second censure Upton has received from a local entity following the Allegan County Republican Party executive committee’s decision to censure on Jan. 23.

Upton was one of 10 Republican representatives who voted to impeach Trump on Jan. 13, believing the former president’s inflammatory rhetoric at a Jan. 6 rally led to the riots at the U.S. Capitol Building.

In a Jan. 23 official statement, Upton said that congress should not tolerate any effort to impede the peaceful transfer of power.

“I’ve gone to bat for southwest Michigan everyday I’ve been in Congress, bringing jobs, economic growth and opportunities to our region of the state,” Upton said. “And that is exactly what I’m going to keep doing.”

According to the resolution released by Cass County GOP secretary Wally Berndt, the executive committee believes that Congressman Upton’s vote to impeach Trump is a betrayal both of his oath in office and core values of the Cass County Republican Party.

“We believe this vote ignored the voice of the voters of Cass County and was against our interest,” the resolution read.

The resolution attests that the “Democratic Party, liberal media and self-serving ‘Republicans’ continue to seek personal and political gain by misleading the American people into believing President Trump incited the violence that took place at the Capitol.”

The Cass County GOP believes the decision to impeach Trump for “high crimes and misdemeanors” does not hold up due to lack of evidence.

“In having no investigation of the facts, offering no witnesses the ‘hearing’ deprived President Trump of his constitutional right to due process. The allegation does not meet the bar for high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The resolution will be referred to the House Issues Committee, which will investigate any further action that may be available to the Cass County GOP Executive Committee and will make recommendations for further consideration.

Neither Upton nor a representative from the Cass County GOP responded for comment as of publication.