Maine secretary of state disqualifies Trump from main poll

Maine’s secretary of state on Thursday dominated former President Trump is disqualified from holding workplace and showing on the state’s main poll beneath part 3 of the 14th Modification over his position within the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

“The U.S. Structure doesn’t tolerate an assault on the foundations of our authorities, and Part 336 requires me to behave in response,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, wrote in her resolution.

“Given the compressed timeframe, the novel constitutional questions concerned, the significance of this case, and impending poll preparation deadlines, I’ll droop the impact of my resolution till the Superior Courtroom guidelines on any attraction, or the time to attraction…has expired,” Bellows added.

The ruling notes that the choice could be appealed to the Superior Courtroom inside 5 days.

Bellows is the primary election official to unilaterally decide on Trump’s eligibility. Underneath Maine regulation, voters should first petition the secretary of state with challenges to a candidate’s {qualifications} for workplace, after which a public listening to is held the place the challengers should make their case as to why the first nomination needs to be invalidated. 

“I’m conscious that no Secretary of State has ever disadvantaged a presidential candidate of poll entry based mostly on Part Three of the Fourteenth Modification,” wrote Bellows. “I’m additionally conscious, nevertheless, that no presidential candidate has ever earlier than engaged in riot.” 

The Trump marketing campaign mentioned it is going to attraction.

“We are going to shortly file a authorized objection in state court docket to stop this atrocious resolution in Maine from taking impact,” Trump marketing campaign spokesman Steven Cheung mentioned in an announcement Thursday night time.

“We’re witnessing, in real-time, the tried theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter,” he added.

On Wednesday, Trump’s attorneys despatched a letter hat requested Bellows to disqualify herself and claimed she had “private bias,” citing prior statements the place she had “already concluded that President Trump engaged in riot.”

The Maine resolution comes per week after the Colorado Supreme Courtroom dominated that Trump is disqualified from the poll in that state — a call that has been stayed whereas it’s being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Courtroom.

It is a creating story and will probably be up to date.