Colorado judge rules Trump is allowed on Colorado Ballot in 2024
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Coloradans will be able to cast their vote for former President Donald J. trump when presidential primary ballots go out in March.
Colorado Secretary of state Jena Griswold was sued by six Republican and Unaffiliated Colorado voters on Sept. 6. The lawsuit argued the Secretary must disqualify former president Donald J. Trump from the Colorado ballot based on the language of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads:
“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, 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, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such a disability.”
A Denver district court judge wrote Friday that despite convincing evidence that Trump played a role in inciting the Jan 6th capitol riots, it does not bar him from running.
Griswold reacted to the judges ruling saying the idea saying the idea that the presidency is a get out of jail free card for insurrection is deeply troubling.
"The fact that the court determined that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection is is a big underlining of how dangerous he is to American democracy," said Griswold.
Colorado GOP chair Dave Williams e believes the judge made the right choice in letting Trump run for president again.
It's important to have donald trump on the ballot because he is a qualified candidate, and people have the right to vote for him or even against him," said Williams.
But Williams takes issue with the judge's statement that trump is guilty of insurrection.
"It's clearly on the record that president trump said to peacefully and patriotically protest. that's not inciting violence. and i think ultimately the judge being left wing and democratic, democratically appointed, you know, had to play to her side," said Williams.
The group who filed this lawsuit , "Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington" told KRDO13 they're very pleased with the insurrection part of the judges decision, indicating that they will be appealing to the Colorado Supreme Court in the very near future.
“The court’s decision affirms what our clients alleged in this lawsuit: that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection based on his role in January 6th,” said CREW President Noah Bookbinder. “We are proud to have brought this historic case and know we are right on the facts and right on the law. When we filed this case, we knew it likely would not end at the district court level. We will be filing an appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court shortly. Today was not the end of this effort, but another step along the way.”
CREW President Noah Bookbinder
