WASHINGTON – Colorado voters, who say former President Donald Trump should be barred from federal office for his role in the events leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, urged the Supreme Court on Friday to bar him from their state’s Republican primary. .
Lawyers for the voters said that Trump “intentionally organized and incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol in order to prevent the counting of the election votes cast against him.” new short.
“By leading this attack, Trump committed rebellion against the Constitution,” the lawyers wrote.
The case discusses whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits those “engaged in rebellion” from holding federal office, applies to Trump.
The court will hear oral arguments on February 8.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against Trump December 19 Trump immediately appealed the decision. The decision is on hold while the Supreme Court hears the case, meaning Trump remains on the ballot ahead of the March 5 Republican primary.
The case raises a variety of unresolved legal questions, including whether constitutional language applies to presidential candidates and who gets to decide whether someone is engaged in sedition.
In Trump own brief On Jan. 18, his attorneys outlined several reasons they believe the Colorado court’s ruling was wrong, saying a ruling against the former president would “create chaos and confusion.”
Among other things, they cite language that says the constitutional provision applies only to someone seeking to serve as an “officer of the United States.”
They also argue that Trump is “not engaged in sedition” and that only Congress can enforce the provision.
“The court must quickly and decisively put an end to the ballot nullification efforts that threaten to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
At a briefing Friday, opponents said Trump’s legal position was “less legitimate than a political position.” Lawyers who accepted the term “living” said that January 6 is already a proof of what Trump is capable of.
“Section 3 is designed to prevent sworn insurgents like Trump from creating such chaos again,” the lawyers wrote.
The legal challenge was filed by a left-leaning government watchdog group on behalf of six Colorado voters, four of whom are Republicans. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and two law firms.
The case will be closely watched, not least because if Trump is voted out in Colorado, other states could follow suit.