It was nearly unanimous in the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday, when the body voted to remove Rep. David Eastman, a Republican from Wasilla, from the House Judiciary Committee. Eastman was the only vote against his removal from the committee.
Eastman is not a member of either the majority or minority caucus in the House. He is a caucus of one, but conservative critics see him as being of more help to Democrats, even though he is one of the most conservative members in the House. Last week, he teed up a vote to override a veto by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who is also a Republican, and he got all the Democrats to go with him, as well as two Republicans. That effort failed, however, but it is the kind of thing he is known for, which makes him a difficult member for any caucus.
The House Committee on Committees approved the removal and 39 members of the House agreed. In his place on the committee is Wasilla Rep. Jesse Sumner, also a Republican.
Eastman has been censured by the House on three occasions and has been criticized by liberals on many occasions for speaking his mind or even for asking rhetorical questions. In 2022, he was kicked off of his committees, and Democrats have hounded him for being a member of the Oath Keepers, which they say show that he supports an insurrection.
In 2022, liberals took him to court to contest his ability to be an elected official due to his membership in Oath Keepers. A Superior Court judge ruled in his favor, saying that Eastman being a member of Oath Keepers, “does not and did not possess a specific intent to further the Oath Keeper’s words or actions aimed at overthrowing the United States government.”
