Read the Maine Judge’s Ruling on Trump’s Ballot Eligibility

STATE OF MAINE KENNEBEC, ss.

DONALD J. TRUMP,

Petitioner,

V.

SHENNA BELLOWS, in her official capacity as Secretary of State for the State of Maine,

and

Respondent,

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)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

KIMBERLEY ROSEN, THOMAS

SAVIELLO, and ETHAN STRIMLING, )

)

Parties-in-Interest.

SUPERIOR COURT CIVIL ACTION

Docket No. AP-24-01

1

ORDER AND DECISION (M.R. Civ. P. 80C)

Petitioner former President Donald J. Trump (“President Trump”) has appealed the Ruling of Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, dated December 28, 2023 (“the Ruling”), on three challenges to President Trump’s petition to appear on the Maine Republican presidential primary ballot. In her Ruling, the Secretary of State (“the Secretary”) concluded that President Trump’s primary petition was invalid because his candidate consent form contained a false statement and because he was disqualified from holding the office of President of the United States under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provides as follows:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of twothirds of each House, remove such disability.