(An activist Cook County judge decided former President Donald Trump’s name should be removed from the Illinois primary ballot, but put a hold on the order expecting an appeal. Trump’s campaign said it will “quickly appeal.”
In a 38-page ruling on Wednesday, Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter unilaterally overturned the unanimous decision by the Illinois State Board of Elections to keep Trump on the ballot.
Leftist groups whose primary purpose was waging lawfare attacks against the Republican leader to prevent his re-election challenged Trump’s access to the March 19 Illinois primary ballot, alleging that the former president instigated an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
After the state elections board last month rejected Free Speech for People’s argument as to why Trump was ineligible to be president, the group appealed to the state circuit court in Cook County, which includes the deep-blue city of Chicago.
In her ruling, Porter pointed to the Colorado Supreme Court’s action to remove Trump from that state’s ballot based on the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, saying it was “persuasive law” and that the court could consider it as precedent, despite the current hold on the decision as it awaits a decision by the Supreme Court.
“Until the U.S. Supreme Court renders a decision in the Anderson v. Griswold case, now pending before it, reviewing courts are still under a constitutional obligation to apply and interpret the law, and especially, continue the momentum of the electoral process in light of the March general primary elections,” Porter claimed.
Trump’s objectors “have met their burden by preponderance of the evidence,” she added.
Her ruling also said that the state elections board “was clearly erroneous in denying” the objection, that the board was in error “finding that the Respondent-Candidate’s Nominations Papers, including his Statement of Candidacy was valid” and the board’s decision to keep Trump on the ballot “is reversed.”
The judge ordered the Illinois State Board of Elections to remove Trump from the March 19 ballot, but put a hold on her order until March 1, “in anticipation of an appeal.”
Trump’s campaign promised to appeal, saying political groups were attempting to interfere with the election.
“Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the state’s board of elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.
“This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal,” he added. “In the meantime, President Trump remains on the Illinois ballot, is dominating the polls, and will Make America Great Again!”
Trump has already dominated Republican primaries and caucuses in several other states and is on track to become the Republican party’s presumptive nominee after the March 5 “Super Tuesday” elections.
