In a significant ruling, Cook County judge Tracie Porter decided that the Illinois State Board of Elections must eliminate former President Donald Trump’s name from the state’s upcoming March 19 primary ballot. This decision comes as a response to a group of voters who took legal action against the election board after their initial efforts to remove Trump were unanimously dismissed.
Legal Battle Continues
The voters argued that Trump’s involvement in, and response to, the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disqualifies him from holding any public office. The case is part of a wave of lawsuits invoking a rarely used clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection from serving in government.
While the Supreme Court showed skepticism towards this strategy in a recent Colorado case involving Trump, Porter’s ruling in Illinois challenges this trend. She sided with the voters, stating that the Election Board’s decision was fundamentally flawed and that Trump’s actions put his eligibility into question.
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Ron Fein, Legal Director of Free Speech For People and co-lead counsel in the case, hailed the ruling as a “historic victory.” According to Fein, every examination of Trump’s constitutional eligibility has concluded that his actions post-inauguration constituted insurrection, disqualifying him from further presidential bids.
However, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung denounced the decision as unconstitutional, vowing to appeal the ruling swiftly. The battle now moves towards higher courts, with Porter’s order contingent upon the Supreme Court’s final decision aligning with her own interpretation.
As the legal drama unfolds, the fate of Trump’s participation in the primary ballot remains uncertain.