Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously sided with Donald Trump, Maine’s Secretary of State withdrew her determination that former President Trump should be blocked from the state’s ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that individual states lack authority to enforce Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment with respect to federal offices,” Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows wrote in a modified ruling, obtained by The Hill. “Consistent with my oath and obligation to follow the law and the Constitution, and pursuant to the Anderson decision, I hereby withdraw my determination that Mr. Trump’s primary petition is invalid.”
“As a result of the modified ruling, votes cast for Mr. Trump in the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election will be counted,” Bellows continued.
In December, Maine became the second state to block Trump from its primary ballots.
The decision made Bellows (D) the first state official to remove a presidential candidate via the 14th Amendment, as the Colorado decision was made by a court.
“I do not reach this conclusion lightly. Democracy is sacred,” Bellows said at the time.
“I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment,” she wrote. “I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.”
Bellows wrote in a 34-page decision at the time that Trump “was aware of the tinder laid by his multi-month effort to delegitimize a democratic election, and then chose to light a match.”
YEAH, SHE SHOULD KNOW THAT ONLY CONGRESS CAN ENACT THE 14TH AMENDMENT. CONGRESS CLEARED TRUMP OF AN INSURRECTION CHARGES. VIDEO PROVES THIS WAS A PELOSI/FBI INSURRECTION TO STOP THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE BECAUSE PELOSI KNEW TRUMP WOULD WIN IT. ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL SAYING OTHERWISE ABOUT THE 14TH AMENDMENT IS IN VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION THEY SWORE TO UPHOLD AND NEEDS TO RESIGN!