Staff Reports
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has declined to wade into the controversy surrounding whether former President Donald Trump can be barred from the 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment. The court supported a previous ruling that the matter should be put on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court addresses a similar case in Colorado.
In December, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows determined that Trump did not meet the criteria to be included on the primary ballot in the state, citing a provision in the 14th Amendment that prohibits individuals who have "engaged in insurrection" from holding public office. This decision closely followed the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to remove Trump from the state's ballot.
On January 17, the Maine Superior Court, the state's trial court, ruled that Bellows's decision to exclude Trump should await the U.S. Supreme Court's verdict on the Colorado case. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court recently endorsed the Superior Court's decision, meaning Trump will be listed on Maine's 2024 primary ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court renders a judgment.
Steven Cheung, Trump's spokesperson, characterized the ruling as a "devastating" setback for Bellows, referring to her as President Joe Biden's "acolyte." Cheung asserted that Trump is confident the U.S. Supreme Court will fairly address and dismiss these purportedly baseless "14th Amendment" cases.
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider arguments in the Colorado case on February 8, with a swift decision anticipated due to the ongoing primary season that commenced with New Hampshire and Iowa.
A coalition of 27 states, led by Republican Attorneys General Todd Rokita of Indiana and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia, filed an amicus brief contending that the Colorado Supreme Court's decision could throw the 2024 presidential election into disarray.
While some states attempted to remove Trump from their ballots, legal challenges faced minimal success. Courts in Michigan and Minnesota, as well as an elections board in Massachusetts, either dismissed or ruled against attempts to exclude the former president. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan maintained that the 14th Amendment did not apply to the election process and asserted his obligation to include anyone on the ballot who met the filing requirements.
