Illinois Voters Challenge Trump’s Candidacy with Unfounded Claims

Illinois voters have filed a challenge to the eligibility of former President Donald Trump on the ballot using the 14th Amendment, as reported by The Hill on Thursday.

Filed on behalf of five Illinois voters, this objection marks the fourth attempt by the nonprofit Free Speech For People to remove Trump from ballots across various states.

According to a document obtained by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, the objectors are urging the State Board of Elections to disqualify Trump as a presidential candidate in Illinois’ March 19 primary and Nov. 5 general elections. They claim Trump violated the 14th Amendment by inciting the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021; the amendment prohibits insurrectionists from holding public office.

The state election board has expressed uncertainty about its authority to invoke the constitutional insurrection clause for disqualifying a presidential candidate. It suggests that Illinois’ courts or Legislature may need to address the matter. The objectors argue that the state elections board possesses the legal standing to address the question, anticipating potential legal proceedings similar to other states’ disputes involving Trump.

Represented by two Chicago law firms, the objectors, described as a “diverse group of voters” from various Illinois locations, said they want to uphold “constitutional principles.” Attorney Matthew Piers, president of the Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym law firm, which helped draft the challenge, said, “The law must be obeyed. And if the laws aren’t obeyed, you lose your constitutional democracy. It’s really just that simple.”

The Supreme Court is deliberating whether to consider Trump’s appeal against being removed from the primary ballot in Colorado.

Other groups, citing violations of the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban, argue against his eligibility for office. The Amendment, enacted post-Civil War, aimed to prevent Confederates from returning to federal office but remained largely inactive for decades.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed the challenge, stating, “These shams are all part of a coordinated election interference lawfare campaign designed to disenfranchise millions of American voters.”

He said that the “spurious so-called 14th Amendment cases” are spearheaded and funded by left-wing billionaires.

Of the numerous challenges nationwide, two have succeeded in removing Trump’s name from the ballot in Colorado and Maine.

“Ultimately, we believe the law is on our side, and President Trump will overwhelmingly be reelected to the presidency and Make America Great Again,” Cheung said.

While the Maine case proceeds in state court, the Colorado case awaits a decision by the Supreme Court. Challenges by Free Speech For People have been rejected in Minnesota and Michigan, while a challenge in Oregon remains ongoing.