The Supreme Court of the US state of Oregon, on Friday (Jan 12) decided to keep former United States President and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump on the state’s primary ballot after it declined to hear the bid filed against him over his role in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
What did the court say?
Oregon is one of the several states where rights groups have filed lawsuits to get the former president removed from their state ballot under section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
The rarely used, civil-war era provision of the American Constitution that bars officials who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding office is being used against Trump over his role in the January 6 insurrection by his supporters at the US Capitol.
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The lawsuit at the Oregon Supreme Court was filed by five Oregon voters and organised by Free Speech For The People, a liberal advocacy group last year.
The state’s top court has decided to hold the ruling until the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) hears an appeal by the former president.
The SCOTUS’ ruling may decide the issue once and for all, but the Oregon court said that plaintiffs could try again.
Notably, the US Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a six to three majority, has never ruled on Section 3, which fell into disuse after the 1870s.
So far, the US states of Colorado and Maine have kicked Trump off their state ballots based on the lawsuits filed under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. However, these decisions can be appealed.
‘Disappointing’
“The Oregon Supreme Court’s decision not to decide is disappointing,” the liberal advocacy group said in a statement Friday (Jan 12) after the ruling.
It added, “Waiting until the U.S. Supreme Court issues its order only compresses the time that the Oregon Supreme Court may have to resolve the issues that may remain.”
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung hailed the decision calling it the “correct one.” He added, “President Trump urges the swift dismissal of all remaining, bad-faith, election interference 14th Amendment ballot challenges.”
According to Oregon election officials, the names on the primary ballot must be finalised by March 21 and the state’s primary will be held exactly two months after.
(With inputs from agencies)
