States Trump appeals disqualification from Maine primary ballot
Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday appealed a decision by Maine's top election official to exclude him from the state's Republican presidential primary ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, DW reports.
Shenna Bellows, Maine's Secretary of State and a Democrat, barred Trump from the state's primary ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits those who "engaged in insurrection" from holding office.
In her decision, Bellows noted that the January 6 Capitol attack "occurred at the behest of, and with the knowledge and support of, the outgoing President."
Bellows concluded that the former president incited an insurrection in an attempt to hold onto power following defeat in the 2020 election and was disqualified from holding office again under constitutional rules.
Trump's appeal on Tuesday asks that Bellows be required to place him on the March 5 primary ballot.
His attorneys argued that Bellows' ruling demonstrates bias and lacks legal authority.
"The secretary should have recused herself due to her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by a documented history of prior statements prejudging the issue presented," Trump's attorneys wrote.
Trump's lawyers argue that the ruling can't stand because the amendment doesn't explicitly mention the president and only refers to any "officer of the United States." They argue that the legal term doesn't apply to the president.
Incidentally, during his prosecution for fraud by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, Trump's attorneys asked for the case to be moved to a federal court because the president is "an officer of the United States."
The decision in Maine is currently on hold pending the appeal's outcome.
