Longshot presidential candidate information go well with to maintain Donald Trump off Maine poll
AUGUSTA, Maine — A bit of-known Republican presidential candidate filed a lawsuit Wednesday that seeks to disqualify former President Donald Trump from Maine’s 2024 poll.
The go well with from John Anthony Castro is part of a flurry of challenges he has filed to Trump’s candidacy in lots of states. A former federal prosecutor reportedly referred to as the makes an attempt a “Hail Mary,” though election officers in Maine and elsewhere are analyzing the authorized arguments.
Castro of Mansfield, Texas, filed the grievance in U.S. District Courtroom in Portland and named Trump and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows as defendants. It argues Part 3 of the 14th Modification to the U.S. Structure ought to disqualify Trump from the poll.
That’s the yet-to-be-tested authorized argument opponents of Trump — the primary ex-president indicted in U.S. historical past — are making in saying he mustn’t seem on the 2024 poll, because the modification disqualifies individuals who “have engaged in riot or rebel” from holding workplace.
Trump has been indicted in 4 pending instances, together with one alleging he sought to overturn his 2020 election defeat to President Joe Biden and stoked the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol by which his supporters breached the constructing, assaulted police and disrupted Congress’ certification of the election outcomes.
Whereas two conservative authorized students have argued Trump is constitutionally barred from working once more for president as a result of his function in what they described because the Jan. 6 “riot,” different consultants have solid doubt on whether or not Trump’s authorized destiny might stop him from working and serving once more.
On Labor Day, Castro posted images of courtroom filings in numerous states to social media and mentioned he was about to “unleash authorized hell” on Trump. Castro, a 39-year-old tax guide, beforehand made unsuccessful bids to characterize Texas within the U.S. Senate and Home of Representatives
Election officers in different states have additionally obtained challenges to Trump’s eligibility from not solely people but in addition teams representing voters of all political stripes.
Castro instructed the Bangor Day by day Information in an e-mail an identical lawsuit from a watchdog group in Colorado will probably fail because of the group missing the standing to problem a federal query however that he would have that standing as a candidate.
Regardless of his authorized instances, Trump stays far and away the favourite to win the 2024 GOP major and as soon as once more face Biden, who is predicted to beat his foremost challenger, Robert Kennedy Jr., within the Democratic major.
A spokesperson for Bellows mentioned she didn’t have any remark Thursday on Castro’s lawsuit. Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat and former legal professional normal, appeared to solid doubt on the authorized concept behind retaining Trump off the poll when requested about it on Maine Public’s “Maine Calling” present on Thursday, calling it “extraordinary” whereas saying she had no place on the legislation.
The secretary of state and Lawyer Normal Aaron Frey, who’re additionally Democrats, introduced final week they’re reviewing “14th Modification election legislation questions” and analyzing poll entry questions, “as we do prior to each main election.”
“Any choices about poll entry will probably be made dispassionately on the correct time in accordance with the legal guidelines and the Structure, which will probably be our sole consideration,” the 2 officers mentioned with out mentioning Trump.
Candidates have till Dec. 1 to formally submit their petitions to look in Maine’s primaries subsequent yr, with the primary spherical of ballots despatched Jan. 20, 2024, to army and abroad voters.
BDN author Michael Shepherd contributed to this report.
