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Trump challenges Maine Superior Court’s 14th Amendment election disqualification
The legal team of former President Donald Trump appealed on Tuesday to Maine’s Superior Court, the highest trial court in the state, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision that disqualified him from running for office in the state’s GOP primary.
Trump filed an appeal with the Superior Court of Kennebec. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court or the United States Supreme Court may eventually hear an appeal of a trial court decision.
Democrat Bellows ruled on December 28 that Trump’s actions following the 2020 election, which culminated on January 6, 2021, disqualified him under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Bellows, Trump’s team claimed in a filing to the state’s Superior Court, is a “biased decisionmaker” who “failed to provide lawful due process.”
They added that Bellows “made multiple errors of law and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner,” and that he had “no legal authority” to make such a determination on matters of federal constitutional significance.
Following the filing of the appeal, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung reiterated those points in a statement.
“Maine’s Secretary of State went outside of her authority, completely ignoring the Constitution when she summarily decided to remove President Trump’s name from the ballot, interfere in the election, and disenfranchise the voters of her state,” said Cheung.
Bellows had put her decision on hold while she filed an appeal. The Republican primary in Maine is scheduled for March 5.
The previous week, Bellows wrote, “I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.” She acknowledged the uniqueness of her choice.
“I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection,” she said.
The second state to prevent Trump from running in the primary is Maine. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump was ineligible to run for president due to his having “engaged in insurrection” on January 6. This is a significant decision that Trump’s legal team is anticipated to challenge before the United States Supreme Court.
In order to stay on the ballot, the former president has prevailed in contests in Michigan, California, and more than a dozen other states. More than a dozen states are still involved in 14th Amendment lawsuits, which puts pressure on the US Supreme Court to comment on these intricate and unique legal issues.
“He looks forward to continuing to fight these bad-faith attempts to destroy American democracy,” the Trump campaign pledged on Tuesday.
