Maine bars Trump from ballot as US Supreme Court weighs state authority to block former president – WGME
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by Anna Coon, WGME
AUGUSTA (WGME) — Maine’s secretary of state has issued a ruling disqualifying former President Donald Trump from Maine’s primary ballot.
Maine's Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled the former president violated the constitution by inciting an insurrection on January 6, 2021, disqualifying him from future office.
This ruling makes Maine the second state to disqualify former President Donald Trump from the ballot, following the decision from the Colorado Supreme Court, but it is the first time a secretary of state has made that decision.
Bellows ruling came after a small group of Maine citizens filed a complaint to remove Trump from the primary ballot.
“We cannot allow somebody who is in the highest office in the land to commit insurrection against our country to try and block the peaceful transfer of power and then be able to get back into that office,” said Former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling, who was among those who filed the complaint. “That would be the worst and most dangerous precedent for us to set.”
Strimling joined two former republican state representatives to file the complaint. They claim the former president’s role in the January 6 Capitol riot violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and disqualifies him from office.
“We are going to continue to fight to make sure the constitution is upheld, and nobody is above the law,” said Strimling.
Trump’s legal team presented their defense at Maine’s hearing two weeks ago. Then, the team argued Trump did not incite insurrection, and claim Bellows didn’t have the authority to disqualify a presidential candidate under the circumstances.
“If the legislature had intended to delegate to the secretary the authority to add restrictions to this process they would have done so explicitly,” said Scott Gessler, Counsel to former President Donald Trump.
Wednesday, Trump’s legal team unsuccessfully requested that Bellows recuse herself from this ruling, claiming she was biased against the former president, citing 3 statements on Bellows’ social media which refer to the former president’s second impeachment, and call January 6 an insurrection.
"We are witnessing, in real-time, the attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter," said Trump Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung in a statement.
Bellows responded to the recusal request in her ruling, writing that the motion was denied because it was not submitted on time. She went on to say even if it was submitted on time, she can preside without bias.
Bellows says she did not make the decision lightly, and says it is her duty to ensure all candidates on Maine’s ballot are qualified for office.
“The US Constitution does not tolerate an assault on our government, on the foundations of our government and Maine election law required me, indeed obligated me, to act,” said Bellows.
Because of a potential US Supreme Court ruling and the approaching deadline of Maine’s March 5th primary, Bellows says she is suspending the effect of her decision until any appeal happens, which Trump’s campaign has already announced they plan to make.