Maine officials trade jabs after Trump ballot decision
Published Date: 12/29/2023
Source: POLITICO
Maine’s top election official ejected former President Donald Trump from the state’s ballot on Thursday, declaring him ineligible to serve as president because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, offered forceful arguments around Trump’s political conduct as a defense of her decision. "The 14th Amendment does not say 'conviction,' it says 'engaged' ... Mr. Trump engaged in that insurrection." Joel Stetkis, chair of the Maine Republican Party, slammed the decision as "arbitrary" and a violation of voters' rights. "This isn't about Donald Trump. This is about our Constitutional right," he said.