Illinois judge removes Trump from ballot because of ‘insurrectionist ban’
In a surprise move, an Illinois judge has removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s ballot based on the 14th Amendment’s so-called “insurrectionist ban,” Paralel.Az reports citing CNN.
The decision is paused, giving Trump a short period of time to appeal.
Wednesday’s unexpected decision comes as a similar anti-Trump challenge from Colorado is pending before the US Supreme Court, which is widely expected to reject arguments that Trump is barred from office.
Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter stripped Trump from the Illinois ballot one month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. In a unanimous and bipartisan vote, the election board tossed the anti-Trump case because it said it didn’t have jurisdiction to review the matter.
Illinois is now the third state where Trump was booted from the ballot, after Colorado and Maine. But those decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the US Supreme Court.
Trump can appeal the judge’s decision in Illinois state courts.
He has already beaten back similar lawsuits in many other states.