Maine Secy. Of State on 14th Amendment: ‘I Followed the Law And the Constitution as Is My Duty’
Shenna Bellows defends decision to keep Donald Trump off state ballot
Maine’s secretary of state defended her recent decision to bar Donald Trump from her state’s 2024 ballots due to the former president’s involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Shenna Bellows said that she simply followed Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in doing so, which bars anyone from public office who has engaged in — or assisted with — insurrection or rebellion against the US government.
Trump, currently running to try to return to the White House, engaged in insurrection when he tried to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 election, in which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Further, Trump fomented violent supporters to riot on January 6 and storm the US Capitol Building, threatening lawmakers — and his own vice president — who were in the process of certifying the election results.
He has been indicted — and faces criminal trials — both in federal court in Washington DC and in Georgia, related to his actions to try to illegally remain in power.
Based on that — and the text of the 14th Amendment — Bellows ruled Trump ineligible to run for president again.
State courts in Colorado made a similar determination.
The US Supreme Court will be the final arbiter of whether Trump will, or won't be on the ballot across the country.
“So I want to share a little bit about the process. Now in my decision — and folks can read it on the secretary of state’s website, it’s 34 pages — I voluntarily suspended the effect of my decision pending the appeals process to superior court. Now, the Maine matter is before superior court now, and because Mr. Trump appealed last week, as is his due process right under the Constitution,” she said in an on-camera interview with MSNBC. “This is the process, in Maine: Any registered Maine voter can bring a challenge, the secretary of state must hold a hearing, issue a decision, and that initiates that process.
“Now, the Supreme Court taking up the matter of Colorado, may impact Maine, of course, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter in constitutional law. And all of us, every single election official in this country, swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law,” Bellows added. “So the Supreme Court may issue a ruling that impacts Maine, meanwhile, however, that does not suspend the legal process here in our state.”
The US Constitution guided her decision, Bellows said.
“One hundred percent, yes, we will follow the law in the Constitution, no matter what. And that was what was so important,” she said. “So I made my decision based exclusively on the record in the hearing the way that the evidence and the arguments were made. I followed the law in the Constitution as is my duty. And that’s what election officials do every day across this country.”
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