In a joint effort, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, along with ten other Secretaries of State from across the country, filed an Amicus Curiae in support of former President Donald Trump.
The brief challenges the authority of Secretaries of State to disqualify candidates from the ballot based on the Fourteenth Amendment's insurrection clause.
“I was proud to join @JayAshcroftMO and Secretaries of State across the country in filing this Amicus Brief. What Maine and Colorado attempted to do is unconstitutional - period. I'll continue to do everything in my power to make sure President Trump is on the ballot in all 50 states so that voters can decide their nominee!” LaRose said on X.
The Amicus Curiae argues against granting Secretaries of State the power to disqualify candidates based on the insurrection clause, found in Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. While acknowledging the crucial role of Secretaries of State in ensuring free and fair elections, the filing contends that evaluating a candidate's moral and political fitness on the grounds of national loyalty exceeds their purview.
The case in question seeks clarification on the authority responsible for deciding when a presidential candidate can be disqualified from a state's primary election ballot. The argument underscores that such power should not be vested in Secretaries of State, citing a lack of empowerment in Section Three and asserting that historical practice and understanding do not support granting them this authority.
The Amicus Curiae gains significance as the United States Supreme Court is set to rule on Trump's potential disqualification from the ballots in Colorado and Maine.
In Maine, Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows unilaterally made the decision to remove Trump from the ballot, emphasizing that no Secretary of State has previously deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment,” said of her decision to remove Trump from the ballot.
Both Maine and Colorado are scheduled to hold their primaries on Super Tuesday, March 5, while Ohio's primary is set for March 19. The outcome of the Supreme Court's decision could have far-reaching implications for the role of Secretaries of State in determining the eligibility of presidential candidates in primary elections across the nation.