Former President Donald Trump won a significant victory in Michigan after a Judge dismissed a 14th Amendment case seeking to bar the former president from the state’s 2024 election ballot.
The lawsuit, brought by left-wing nonprofit organization Free Speech for Free Peoples, argued that the former president’s role in the January 6 protest violates section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The group also argued in the lawsuit that Michigan Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has the power to kick Trump off the ballot.
BREAKING: Michigan judge has ruled that Donald Trump will remain on the state’s primary ballot, a blow to the effort to stop his candidacy under Section Three of the 14th Amendment that forbids those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office used in the Civil War-era.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) November 14, 2023
However, Michigan Court of Claims Judge James Redford ruled that Benson has no such powers and that the state’s secretary lacked the authority to intervene in a primary election. The judges also found that Trump has followed all state laws to qualify for the ballot. Hence, the judge could not kick Trump off the ballot.
“The ultimate decision is made by the respective political party, with the consent of the listed candidate,” the judge wrote.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, who was elated by the ruling, maintains that the lawsuit was ridiculous and the ones from other states would crumble too.
Statement from the Trump Campaign 🇺🇸
Remaining 14th Amendment challenges to President Trump’s ballot eligibility for 2024 in Michigan have been DISMISSED. 👈🏻 pic.twitter.com/dLdllgaTwP
— suzy (@Suzy_1776) November 14, 2023
“Each and every one of these ridiculous cases have LOST because they are all un-Constitutional left-wing fantasies orchestrated by monied allies of the Biden campaign seeking to turn the election over to the courts and deny the American people the right to choose their next president,” Cheung said.
Ron Fein, an attorney for the left-wing group, revealed that the group plans to appeal Judge James’ ruling.
“The Michigan Supreme Court should reverse this badly-reasoned lower court decision,” Fein said in a news release. “While our appeal is pending, the trial court’s decision isn’t binding on any other court, and we continue our current and planned legal actions in other states to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against Donald Trump.”
Judge James’ ruling comes after the Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed the left-wing group’s legal challenge. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson ruled that state laws do not prevent Trump from being on the ballot.
“There is no state statute that prohibits a major political party from placing on the presidential nomination primary ballot, or sending delegates to the national convention supporting, a candidate who is ineligible to hold office,” Hudson wrote.
