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Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday appealed a decision by Maine's Democratic secretary of state to bar him from the ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Mr. Trump is also expected to ask the United States Supreme Court to rule on the case filed in Colorado disqualifying him from the ballot.
Democrat Shenna Bellows is the first secretary of state in Maine history to block a presidential candidate under a rarely used clause of the 14th Amendment. The legal provision prohibits an individual involved in insurgency from holding public office.
Mr. Trump's appeal to the Maine Supreme Court says Secretary Bellows lacked jurisdiction over the matter and wants her to be required to put Mr. Trump's name on the ballot for the March 5 primary. The claim argues that she exceeded her powers and was based on 'unbelievable facts'.
"The secretary should be recused because of her bias against President Trump, as demonstrated by her documented record of prior statements prejudicial to the matter at hand," Mr. Trump's lawyers said.
Secretary Bellows told The Associated Press on Tuesday that her decision was on hold pending a decision on the appeal.
"This is part of the process. I have confidence in my decision and the application of the law. This is the process of the state of Maine and it is very important that first and foremost, each of us who serve in government respect the Constitution and the laws of the state,” she said.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump was expected to appeal to the United States Supreme Court a similar ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court.
The highest court of the United States has never issued a decision regarding the clause in question. The Colorado Supreme Court's 4-3 decision marks the first time in history that it has cited the statutory provision to exclude a candidate from the presidential ballot.
Opponents of Mr. Trump have filed dozens of lawsuits in multiple states seeking to disqualify him from the ballot.
Neither lawsuit succeeded until a slim majority of Colorado's seven judges, all appointed by Democratic governors, ruled against Mr. Trump.
Critics say the 4-3 decision overstepped its authority and that the court could not declare the January 6 riots an uprising without an extensive judicial process.
A week after the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling, Ms. Bellows made her decision. Critics say the decision was even more dangerous because it could open the way for party election officials to simply disqualify candidates they oppose.
Ms. Bellows has previously criticized Mr. Trump's stance on the events of January 6. Ms Bellows, who has said her personal views had nothing to do with the decision, is the first senior election official to make the decision to exclude Mr Trump from the ballot./VOA
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