Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes claimed Wednesday that he does not have the power to keep former President Donald Trump off the ballot next year as critics argue Trump violated a constitutional amendment that would disqualify him.
Some legal scholars and critics of the former president claim Trump violated the 14th Amendment during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The amendment bars those who’ve taken an oath to support the Constitution from holding office again if they’ve “engaged in insurrection” against the United States or “given aid or comfort” to its enemies.Fontes referred to a state Supreme Court ruling last year that determined the disqualification clause of the Constitution can only be enforced through Congress.
Fontes said he did not agree with the state Supreme Court's ruling but that it was his job as the state's election chief to follow the ruling anyway. Fontes claimed that under state law, someone who was born outside of the U.S. could appear as a presidential contender on the ballot, and he would not be able to stop it, even though they are disqualified under the U.S. Constitution.
The comment comes as Republicans who oppose Trump in New Hampshire are seeking to ban him from the ballot.
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