Activists want to disqualify Trump from ballot in key states under 14th Amendment - eviltoast

Two civil rights organizations are launching a campaign to pressure state governments to disqualify former President Trump from appearing on ballots in 2024.

The groups say secretaries of state are empowered by the 14th amendment to bar Trump from running for office because of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

Starting Sunday, Mi Familia Vota and Free Speech for People will stage a week of rallies and banner drops outside the offices of the secretaries of state of California, Oregon, Colorado and Georgia.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    5·
    1 year ago

    The article says it may not disqualify him regardless, but I don’t think from the text that he needs to be found guilty in a court of law of engaging in insurrection. This may sound like quibbling, but it’s always quibbling when it comes to the Constitution.

    That clause bars from a series of public offices people who “having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.”

    • Leeks@kbin.social
      3·
      1 year ago

      Again, just looking at the legal side of things, trying to remove all personal bias:

      The question becomes “was Jan 6th an ‘insurrection’, a ‘rebellion’ or a ‘riot’?” While judges have described it as an insurrection from the bench, there have been no charges of insurrection brought against anybody involved so far. The charges include destruction of property, assault, and interfering with an official proceeding, but no charges of insurrection.

      Until someone is charged with insurrection or rebellion, legally speaking, it was maybe a “riot”, which, strictly reading the constitution, is not disqualifying for public office.