An extended stay has been granted by an Illinois judge on a decision that barred Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot due to his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The hold will remain in place until the full resolution of the suit on appeal, keeping Trump on the ballot for the time being. This development comes as part of an ongoing legal dispute surrounding Trump’s eligibility to run for office.
The ruling, issued on Thursday, prolongs the delay from just a few days to potentially several months. This timing suggests that a similar ongoing case out of Colorado could reach a resolution at the US Supreme Court ahead of the Illinois case. If that Colorado case sets a definitive precedent, it might render the Illinois challenge moot.
Previously, Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter had removed Trump from the ballot, but agreed to extend the pause past its initial Friday deadline. The decision mitigates the risk of an immediate clash over Trump’s eligibility to appear on a primary ballot. Prior to this, Illinois had joined Colorado and Maine in finding Trump disqualified based on a provision of the 14th Amendment that disallows insurrectionists from running for office. However, rulings in all three states have been paused pending the outcomes of appeals.
The US Supreme Court is already hearing Trump’s challenge to a similar ruling in Colorado. This case could have dramatic implications for other states looking to limit Trump’s candidacy based on the Capitol riot. The US Supreme Court heard arguments in the Colorado case on February 8. Both liberal and conservative justices raised questions around the power of state supreme courts to disqualify a candidate based on actions like those of Trump’s on Jan. 6.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, described the Illinois ruling as “unconstitutional.” Swiftly, attorneys representing Trump filed a notice of appeal with the state’s appellate court.
Trump has been facing similar ballot challenges across the country, with mixed results. Courts or election officials in 15 other states had ruled in Trump’s favor as of last Thursday. Activist groups Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and Free Speech for People have led most attempts to remove him from the ballot.
Thus far, the ruling in Colorado was the first to contend that Trump’s actions surrounding the 2020 presidential election rendered him ineligible to run based on the post-Civil War-era insurrectionist clause. Trump technically remains unsuccessful in cases where merits have been reached. However, all have held onto their rulings while appeals are ongoing. It seems likely that the ultimate decision on Trump’s candidacy will be resolved at the highest levels.
For additonal information, please refer to the full article at Bloomberg Law News.