-
A citizen watchdog group has filed a lawsuit in Colorado with the aim of disqualifying Donald Trump from running for president in 2024.
-
Despite facing legal challenges from Trump, the lawsuit has not been dismissed.
-
If Trump’s latest motion to dismiss fails, the lawsuit could proceed to trial at the end of October.
A lawsuit seeking to prevent Donald Trump from appearing on the 2024 presidential ballot in Colorado may proceed to trial in late October, following the rejection of three legal challenges by the GOP candidate.
In early September, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal ethics watchdog organization, filed the petition, arguing that Trump’s role in the January 6 insurrection would disqualify him from running for president based on the 14th Amendment.
The 14th Amendment includes a section stating that individuals who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or provided support to those involved in an insurrection are ineligible to hold office.
According to CNN, Judge Sarah Wallace of the Colorado District Court stated in a ruling that the legal questions in this case should be addressed through a trial, despite arguments from Trump’s lawyers regarding procedural errors in the petition.
Previously, Trump attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming it violated free speech laws, as reported by CNN.
A spokesperson for Trump criticized the ruling, calling it “un-American” and asserting that it will be overturned.
The idea of using the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump through lawsuits emerged after he announced his intention to run for president again last year.
While Section 3 of the amendment, which litigants hope to utilize in the Colorado case, was primarily intended to disqualify officials associated with the Confederacy following the Civil War, it does not explicitly mention presidential candidates who participated in an insurrection, as previously reported by Insider.
However, that has not deterred CREW and other organizations from filing lawsuits to test the amendment’s boundaries. Another group, Free Speech For People, has filed a similar suit in Minnesota, which Trump’s lawyers have requested to dismiss, as reported by MinnPost. In Michigan, two cases, including one filed by FSFP, are in the early stages, with the presiding judge aiming to expedite the process, according to Michigan Live.
Judge Wallace has yet to respond to another motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but if it is rejected, the case will proceed to trial on October 30.
Representatives for CREW did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.
Read the original article on Business Insider.
