Share this @internewscast.com

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday filed an appeal of the decision by Maine’s top election official that he is ineligible to appear on the state’s primary ballot.

“[T]he Secretary’s Ruling was the product of a process infected by bias and pervasive lack of due process; is arbitrary, capricious, and characterized by abuse of discretion,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in their appeal to the Maine Superior Court.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, ruled last week that the former president is constitutionally barred from appearing on the state’s primary ballot under Section Three of the 14th Amendment, citing his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump’s lawyers, however, said in their filing that Section Three does not apply to the former president and that Bellows has no authority to enforce it anyway. They also say she should have recused herself, arguing the former Democratic state senator is too partisan to weigh the case fairly.

Trump’s legal team asked the court ensure that Trump remain on the ballot for Maine’s Republican primary, scheduled for March 5. Bellows has not removed Trump from the ballot yet, pausing her decision until the courts weigh in.

In her 34-page decision last month, Bellows wrote that Trump’s conduct around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol compelled her to rule him ineligible.

“The weight of the evidence makes clear that Mr. Trump was aware of the tinder laid by his multi-month effort to delegitimize a democratic election, and then chose to light a match,” she wrote, adding that he “used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power.”

In an interview with NBC News last month, Bellows said her preference would have been to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter, which centers on the 14th Amendment, but she believed Maine law required her to act now.

“The country would be well served if the United States Supreme Court issues clear guidance on this unprecedented constitutional question for all to follow,” Bellows said.

The Superior Court has until Jan. 17 to decide whether to affirm or overturn Bellows’ decision. That ruling can then be appealed to the state’s Supreme Judicial Court or the U.S. Supreme Court.

Maine allows any registered voter to challenge a candidate’s eligibility, which three voters in the state did against Trump. The deadline for Bellows to make a decision was the end of December.

A day after her ruling, Bellows became the target of a “swatting call” — a false report of a crime or emergency with the intention of drawing law enforcement to a location.

State police said they received a call from a man who said he had broken into Bellows’ home. But upon their arrival, officers did not find anyone at her house. Bellows was not at home at the time.

State police said there’s still an active investigation into the incident, and the person who made the call has not been identified.

Bellows issued her ruling after the Colorado Supreme Court last month ruled Trump ineligible to appear on the Republican primary ballot there as well.

State Republicans have asked the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling.

Meanwhile, courts in Arizona, Michigan and Minnesota have ruled against efforts to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot in those states.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
New England serial killer fears grip coastal town after paddleboarder’s ‘terrifying’ murder

Fear of New England serial killer looms over coastal town following paddleboarder’s ‘terrifying’ murder

A week after a paddleboarder from Maine was discovered murdered in a…
State Department firing more than 1,300 employees under President Donald Trump administration plan, officials say

Trump Administration’s Plan Leads to Over 1,300 State Department Employee Dismissals, Officials Report

The State Department is set to terminate over 1,300 employees this Friday…
Ghislaine Maxwell follows prison fitness routine, video shows, as DOJ's Jeffrey Epstein memo draws heat

Ghislaine Maxwell Seen Adhering to Fitness Routine in Prison, Footage Shows, Amid Controversy Over DOJ’s Jeffrey Epstein Memo

July 2025 – Completion of Review Yields Limited Details The Justice Department…
Airport security subdues a disruptive passenger.

Dramatic Scene: Woman Throws Temper Tantrum at Airport, Screams at Police Before Being Arrested

THIS is the shocking moment a furious passenger had a full-blown foot-stomping…
Carabinieri at a car accident scene.

Heartbreaking Image Surfaces After Airline CEO’s Wife Allegedly Hits Babysitter, 24; Lawyer Denies Her Fleeing the Scene

Heartbreaking images have surfaced from the devastating crash involving a CEO’s wife,…
Illustration of the Poseidon underwater drone.

Putin’s Main Spokesperson Warns of “Radioactive Tsunami” with Nuclear Torpedoes as Trump Approves Arms for Ukraine

PUTIN’S chief propagandist has warned Russia could wipe out both coasts of…
2025 Illinois measles cases: Health officials declare end of outbreak in southern Illinois

Southern Illinois Measles Outbreak Concludes: Health Officials Announce in 2025

CHICAGO (WLS) — Health officials in Illinois declared an end to an…
Shocking New Report About What Far-Left Mamdani Allies Might Be Planning Against Jeffries, Other Dems

Surprising Insights on Potential Strategies by Far-Left Mamdani Supporters Against Jeffries and Fellow Democrats

Democrats are going off the rails, embracing extremism.  But because it’s Democrats,…
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign persona called into question by vote to give himself raise: critics

Critics Question Zohran Mamdani’s Authenticity After He Votes for His Own Pay Raise

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani approved a significant increase in his state…
Authorities say about 200 immigrants arrested in raids on 2 Southern California farms

Officials Report Arrest of Approximately 200 Immigrants During Raids at Two Southern California Farms

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — On Friday, federal immigration authorities announced the arrest…
Michael Bell fights execution amid witness coercion claims

Lawyers for Michael Bell Submit Appeal to Halt Execution at the Supreme Court

Bell is set to be the 8th inmate on death row to…
Mugshot of a man in a yellow shirt.

Justin Mohn Convicted of Murdering Father and Posting Disturbing Video Online

A SICK man who slashed his dad’s head with a machete and…