Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a Washington D.C.-based organization, six individuals said to be Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters. The lawsuit seeks to remove former President Donald Trump from the GOP primary ballot for the 2024 election, citing a violation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
In a statement, CREW asserted that Trump breached his oath by allegedly supporting the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The comprehensive 115-page lawsuit cites claims from the January 6 committee and references recent indictments against Trump as evidence for his ineligibility. Colorado’s Democratic Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, is named as a defendant, with the lawsuit arguing she should have already barred Trump from the primary ballot.
Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, who has faced similar ballot removal requests regarding Trump, expressed in the Wall Street Journal that barring voters from choosing their candidate is against American democratic principles.
The Associated Press highlighted the considerable legal backing for this recent lawsuit. Law firms such as KBN Law LLC, Tierney Lawrence Stiles LLC, and Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray LLC represent the case.
The lawsuit’s petitioners include Michelle Priola, Norma Anderson, Claudine Schneider, and Krista Kafer. Anderson previously served in the Colorado State House and Senate, and Schneider is a former Republican U.S. representative from Rhode Island. Kafer is identified as a Denver Post opinion writer.
CREW president Noah Bookbinder stated that it’s imperative to uphold the Constitution and protect democracy. Despite the unprecedented nature of this lawsuit against a former president, Bookbinder argued that the January 6 events warranted such an action. He emphasized that the case isn’t just symbolic but necessary for defending the nation’s democratic values.
The court has been urged to make a swift decision so that any potential changes to the ballot can be made before its finalization on January 5, 2024. Donald Sherman, CREW’s chief counsel, highlighted the nationwide interest in resolving this matter promptly.
