Illinois has joined two other states’ efforts to prevent the ex-commander in chief from vying for the GOP nomination
An Illinois judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump can not appear on the state’s Republican primary ballots, ordering local election officials to strike his name from the running. Trump’s legal team was given just two days to appeal.
Cook County Judge Tracie Porter handed down the decision on Wednesday, stating that Trump’s actions surrounding the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol disqualified him from seeking reelection in Illinois. She cited the 14th Amendment’s Insurrection Clause, which bars former US officials from returning to military or civilian office if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion.”
The ruling comes after a group of Illinois voters filed a formal objection to Trump’s candidacy with the state elections board, also pointing to his alleged “participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 events.” While officials later voted unanimously to retain his name on the GOP ballot, the move prompted a legal challenge from the voters’ lawyers, who presented the same argument to the court.
February 29, 2024 at 06:26AM
RT