The embattled former president, Donald Trump, received a boost on Monday, as Massachusetts's State Ballot Law Commission ruled he will remain on the Republican presidential primary ballot, WHDH reports. The unanimous decision from the commission came despite claims that he is ineligible to run for office due to his alleged complicity in the January 6 insurrection.
According to Massachusetts officials, the argument to strip Trump of his ballot access centered around the 14th Amendment's disqualification of anyone who has engaged in an insurrection from holding office. However, the panel, consisting of retired Judge Francis T. Crimmins Jr., Joseph Eisenstadt, and former Sen. Joe Boncore, concluded they lacked jurisdiction in this mater. "The Commission, having reviewed the materials submitted, has determined that the State Ballot Law Commission does not have jurisdiction over the matters presented," the panel stated in their decision.
The effort to dethrone Trump from the primary ballot was spearheaded by the civil rights group Free Speech For People and the local law firm, Lichten & Liss-Riordan, represented by Shannon Liss-Riordan, a former Democratic U.S. Senate and attorney general candidate. Liss-Riordan presented the case last week, however, was met with the commission's reference to procedural and jurisdictional boundaries that ultimately kept Trump in the running.
Adding another layer of complexity, the Colorado Supreme Court had reached a contrary judgement, determining Trump ineligible to appear on their ballot due to the same constitutional concerns. This decision is slated to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court on February 8, as reported by WHDH. Amidst the legal tumult, the Massachusetts GOP Chair Amy Carnevale called the failed effort "ill-conceived," reassuring that the choice of the Republican presidential nominee for Massachusetts "will now rely squarely with the voters, as it should," CBS Boston conveyed. Trump's name, being ensconced on the ballot, ensures his inclusion in the March 5th primary, setting the stage for a heated electoral showdown.
