A group of Colorado voters filed suit Wednesday to keep former President Donald Trump off the state\u2019s ballot in 2024.<\/p>\n
The ballot-qualification suit names the Republican front-runner and Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold as defendants. The lawsuit cites Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, the Civil War-era federal constitutional amendment which bars people from holding office if they have \u201cengaged in insurrection or rebellion\u201d against the country. It cites events on and around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Trump) knowingly sought to subvert our Constitution and system of elections through a sustained campaign of lies,\u201d the lawsuit states. \u201cHis efforts culminated on January 6, 2021, when he incited, exacerbated, and otherwise engaged in a violent insurrection at the United States Capitol by a mob who believed they were following his orders, and refused to protect the Capitol or call off the mob for nearly three hours as the attack unfolded.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lawsuit was filed in Denver District Court. The petitioners include three Republicans: former Rhode Island Congresswoman Claudine Cmarada, who now lives in Colorado; Norma Anderson, a former Colorado state representative and Senate majority leader; and Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer.<\/p>\n
Also among the petitioners are two unaffiliated Colorado voters. No Democrats were listed on the suit.<\/p>\n
Plaintiff’s attorney Mario Nicolais said the complaint faces an inherent timeline crunch — Colorado\u2019s presidential primary ballots need to be certified in January. If the Denver court decides his clients\u2019 way, he assumes the ruling will face appeals, possibly all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our position that this is a rule of law case, not a partisan case,\u201d said Nicolais, who previously ran for office as a Republican. \u201cThat\u2019s why we filed it. No one is above the law, including former President Trump. In this case, the Constitution is very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He faces a myriad of criminal and civil cases, including around the 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n
Griswold, a Democrat, said in a statement: \u201cI look forward to the Colorado Court\u2019s substantive resolution of the issues, and am hopeful that this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trump\u2019s eligibility as a candidate for office.\u201d<\/p>\n