(ConservativeHub.com) – Democratic Rep. Jared Golden from Maine criticized his state’s Secretary of State over the decision to block former President Donald Trump from appearing on the primary ballot. Golden argued following the December 28 decision that Trump should only be disqualified from the ballot if he is found guilty of a crime.
In his statement, Golden, a moderate Democrat, argued that he believed Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, but that despite this, he should be allowed to remain on the electoral ballot. He noted that during the impeachment proceedings, he voted for Trump to be impeached. However, he said that while he did not think Trump should be re-elected into office, the United States was a “nation of laws” and he should remain on the ballot until he is found to be guilty of insurrection.
On Thursday, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) in a 34-page decision announced that Trump was ineligible to appear on the state’s primary ballot under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment’s “insurrection clause,” which blocks those who had engaged in insurrection from holding office again.
The decision in Maine means that the blue state is the second U.S. state to block Trump from appearing on the ballot. Last week, the Colorado Supreme Court issued a similar ruling blocking Trump from the state’s ballot.
In her decision, Bellows argued her determination was made just using the election laws in Maine and that it was not reliant on there being a court decision regarding Trump’s contract. She argued that her duty was to uphold the laws of the state and uphold the Constitution to ensure that all those on the primary ballot were qualified to run for the office they wanted to win.
Trump has appealed the decision.
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