(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has filed an appeal of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision to disqualify him from the primary ballot, according to local news reports.
A Kennebec County Superior Court clerk confirmed filing to the Portland Press Herold late Tuesday afternoon. “The clerk said a judge was reviewing the filing and a copy was not immediately available,” according to the news report.
Last week, Bellows issued a decision brought forth by Maine voters to challenge Trump’s primary petition, determining it invalid.
Bellows, a Democrat, “ruled that the declaration on his candidate consent form is false,” saying the former president is not qualified to hold the office of president, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Bellows contends that Trump deliberately inflamed supporters to prevent the certification of the 2020 election. She accused the former president of knowingly encouraging “violence.”
“I conclude … that the record establishes that Mr. Trump, over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and the peaceful transfer of power,” Bellows wrote.
“I likewise conclude that Mr. Trump was aware of the likelihood for violence and at least initially supported its use given he both encouraged it with incendiary rhetoric and took no timely action to stop it,” Bellows added.
Bellows defended her decision, saying it was not reached “lightly.” She underscored the oath she took to uphold the Constitution in her decision.
“The oath I swore to uphold the Constitution comes first above all, and my duty under Maine’s election laws, when presented with a Section 336 challenge, is to ensure that candidates who appear on the primary ballot are qualified for the office they seek,” Bellows wrote.
Republican Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, leader of the Maine House of Representatives, released a brief statement slamming Bellows’ decision as a “sham” and accusing the secretary of state of being a partisan hack.
“This is a sham decision that mimics third world dictatorships,” he said. “It will not stand legal scrutiny. People have a right to choose their leaders devoid of mindless decisions by partisan hacks.”
