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The Maine election official who disqualified former President Trump from the state’s presidential main ballot stated on Monday that politics didn’t affect her decision.
Last week, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, dominated that Trump was barred from operating for president in her state as a result of he allegedly “engaged in insurrection” by his actions main up to and in the course of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot on the U.S. Capitol.
“Politics and my personal views played no role,” Bellows instructed NPR in an interview. “I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and that is what I did.”
Her controversial decision adopted an analogous ruling by Colorado’s state Supreme Court that cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars candidates who’ve “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” towards the United States from holding federal elected workplace.
TRUMP DISQUALIFIED FROM MAINE 2024 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT
The Trump marketing campaign had derided each choices and referred to as Bellows “a virulent leftist and a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat,” accusing her of election interference on behalf of President Biden.
However, the Maine election chief defined stated she was required to situation a decision after registered voters challenged Trump’s qualification for the ballot.
“Under Maine law, when I qualified Mr. Trump for the ballot, any registered voter had the right to challenge that qualification,” Bellows instructed “All Things Considered” host Scott Detrow. “Five voters did so, including two former Republican state senators. And then I was required under the statute, under the law, to hold a hearing and issue a decision, and do so within a very compressed timeline. So this wasn’t something I initiated, but it’s something that’s required under Maine election law.”
Bellows stated she “carefully” reviewed proof introduced at a listening to that the violence on Jan. 6 “occurred at the behest of, and with the knowledge and support of, the outgoing president.”
She referred to as the riot “tragic” and an “attack not only upon the capital and government officials, but also an attack on the rule of law, on the peaceful transfer of power.”
“The United States Constitution does not tolerate an assault on the foundations of our government. And under Maine election law, I was required to act in response,” Bellows stated.
The Maine and Colorado choices provoked an outcry from Trump supporters, GOP officers and even some liberal Democrats who view efforts to take Trump off the ballot as overreach. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot, criticized Bellows’ decision and stated voters ought to have the option to vote for Trump “until he is actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection.”
In response to her critics, Bellows instructed NPR that the Constitution doesn’t require Trump to be convicted to be barred from the ballot.
“So I encourage people to read my decision, and also read very carefully Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. It doesn’t say ‘convict.’ It doesn’t say ‘convicted’ or ‘impeached,'” she stated.
“But furthermore, here’s what’s very, very important: In my decision, I made clear this is part of Maine’s process,” she continued. “It now goes to Maine Superior Court. Mr. Trump may, and will, appeal to Superior Court. Then it goes to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, and then to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Bellows famous that she suspended her decision from taking impact pending court docket evaluate of the Colorado and Maine actions. Trump is predicted to contest each choices and the case will seemingly be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court someday earlier than January 20 — the deadline when navy and abroad voters should obtain their ballots for Maine’s presidential main on March 5.
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Bellows stated Maine “would certainly welcome” a Supreme Court decision to make clear Trump’s eligibility to run for president.
“So the courts are compelled by a very compressed timeline as well here in our state. And I am hopeful we’ll have resolution,” she stated.
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