Anti-Trump Voter Organization Will Appeal Michigan Court’s Decision To Allow Trump on Ballots, Plans Efforts in Other States

A group helping voters bring disqualification cases against President Trump in Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon is preparing suits in other states.

AP/Charlie Neibergall
President Trump speaks during a rally, October 16, 2023, at Adel, Iowa. AP/Charlie Neibergall

An organization seeking to disqualify President Trump from running for president is appealing a recent Michigan ruling keeping him on the ballot as it prepares lawsuits in other states.

A spokesman for a group that has filed suits based on the 14th Amendment looking to disqualify Mr. Trump in Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon, Free Speech for People, tells the Sun that the group is planning to file an appeal to a recent ruling in Michigan.

On Thursday, Michigan’s Court of Appeals, in a 3-0 decision, ruled that Mr. Trump could appear on ballots in the key battleground state in 2024.

“As the Court of Claims recognized, it would be improper to decide whether to grant a declaration that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President of the United States at this time,” the court wrote. 

The group is now moving to appeal the decision to the Michigan supreme court, the highest court in the state. It is hoping that the court will overturn the decision by the Court of Appeals to uphold two lower court rulings.

The ruling from the Court of Appeals was, in part, based on the fact that the 14th Amendment is not concerned with state primary ballots, with the justices writing that “whether Trump is disqualified is irrelevant to his placement on that particular ballot.”

“Thus, with respect to the presidential primary election, there is no actual controversy, as the only purported basis for removing Trump from the presidential primary ballot would not be a sufficient basis for removal of Trump’s name from that ballot,” the court wrote.

The 14th Amendment bars anyone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof” from holding elected office in America.

A campaign spokesman for Mr. Trump, Steven Cheung, called the ruling a victory for Mr. Trump over “Soros-funded Democrats,” one that he claimed put Mr. Trump in a “stronger position.”

Free Speech for People, which is not officially affiliated with the Democratic Party, tells the Sun that it is planning to not only appeal the Michigan decision but also to prepare lawsuits in other states. The group’s representatives were not, though, able to disclose the planned timing and venue of the lawsuits.

A recent report in the Boston Herald suggests that Massachusetts is one of the states likely to play host to one of these lawsuits against Mr. Trump.

An e-mail from attorney Shannon Liss-Riodan leaked to the Boston Herald showed Ms. Liss-Riordan apparently recruiting plaintiffs to join a potential lawsuit against Mr. Trump.

“I left you a message earlier on your voicemail and wanted to follow up to see if you may be interested in joining litigation that we are preparing to file to keep Donald Trump off the presidential ballot pursuant to the Insurrectionist Clause of the Constitution,” the e-mail reads. “I expect you’ve seen the news about similar lawsuits that are underway in several states.”

The e-mail continues, saying, “We are putting together a group of plaintiffs over the next two weeks” and that the organization believes that “Massachusetts may provide a good opportunity to succeed on this challenge.”


The New York Sun

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