Judge temporarily suspends Trump's ineligibility in Maine

The Superior Court of the State of Maine, in the United States, temporarily suspended this Wednesday (17 January 2024) a decision that prohibited former President Donald Trump from being included on the State's electoral ballot. The order is in effect until the Supreme Court rules in a similar case in Colorado, where Trump has become ineligible. Read the complete (PDF – 997 kB, in English).

In December, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows excluded Trump from the ballot based on the clause in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits people who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” to occupy positions. The country's presidential elections will be held in November this year.

The decision was based on the accusation against the Republican of involvement in the invasion of the Capitol, on January 6, 2021. He appealed and asked the state court to revoke the measure.

Bellows' decision came after the Colorado Supreme Court concluded that the former president would become ineligible in the state's Republican Party primaries. The decision was also based on the 14th Amendment. Trump appealed the decision.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will consider whether the former president can be included on Colorado's primary election ballot. The court plans to hear arguments in the case on February 8, 2024.

With the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the Colorado case, Maine Superior Court Judge Michaela Murphy ruled that the ruling “changes everything about the order in which these issues should be decided and by which court”.

Murphy asked Bellows to suspend Trump's ineligibility until the court ruled on the Colorado case.

According to the Axiosmore than 30 North American states have already moved actions to try to remove the Republican from the 2024 voter ballots.

In the opening of the presidential year, as the Republican Party's 1st caucus on January 15th, Trump had the biggest victory in history for a Republican in Iowa. The lead in the vote was declared just 31 minutes after the start of the political convention.