The United States Supreme Court has agreed to take on former President Donald Trump's Colorado ballot disqualification case.
The development comes after the Republican businessman urged the country's high court to review the politically controversial decision of the Colorado Supreme Court. That ruling found that Trump was ineligible for the presidency because he was involved in an insurrection.
Supreme Court Takes Donald Trump Case
The Supreme Court set a swift schedule for filings from the parties involved in the appeal brought by Trump. In a brief order, the justices said that arguments will be held on Feb. 8, and a decision is expected to come quickly after. This is because Super Tuesday, which is when Colorado and more than a dozen other states will hold their primaries or caucuses, is scheduled on Mar. 5.
The dispute is centered around the Constitution's so-called insurrection clause, which is a Civil War-era provision that prohibits an individual who has sworn an oath to defend the Constitution but engages in insurrection from holding public office, as per CBS News.
In a divided 4-3 decision on Dec. 19, the Colorado Supreme Court concluded that Trump is disqualified from serving as president. Those in support of the ruling argued that his conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot amounted to insurrection.
The state's high court then barred the Republican businessman from being listed on its 2024 primary ballot. However, it paused its decision to allow the former president and the Colorado GOP time to appeal the decision.
The controversy regarding Trump's eligibility for the presidency is sending the Supreme Court into new territory. The high court has never, in history, ruled directly on the 155-year-old provision that is at the center of the current case, which is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
On top of the Colorado ruling, the former president is also appealing a decision by Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows that also bars him from that state's ballot for the 2024 race. It was also on hold until Trump's appeals played out in courts, according to Yahoo News.
The Supreme Court's decision to intervene in the matter is the most direct involvement in a presidential election since Bush v. Gore in 2000. During that time, a conservative majority effectively decided the election for Republican George W. Bush. Among the justices from that era, only Clarence Thomas remains on the court.
Read Also : Donald Trump Appeals Maine's Decision To Remove His Name From 2024 Ballot Over Alleged Insurrection
Trump's Involvement in Insurrection
While three of the nine justices in the Supreme Court were appointed by Trump, they have repeatedly ruled against him in 2020 election-related lawsuits. This is also true for his efforts to keep documents related to Jan. 6 and his tax returns from being turned to congressional committees.
Among Trump's other legal challenges, the one by New York Attorney General Letitia James could force the former president to pay $370 million. This is in relation to his alleged deceptive schemes, including inaccurately boosting his net worth and avoiding tax payments.
The Republican businessman's initial response to the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling was dismissive. His attorneys wrote in their petition to the Supreme Court that the Colorado decision erred in how it described Trump's role in the Capitol Hill riot.
The former president is set to file his opening brief in the case by Jan. 18 as Colorado voters challenging his eligibility for office will file their opening arguments by Jan. 31. The timeline compresses the usual briefing schedule to only one-third of its common length. This underscores how quickly the justices are choosing to move on the matter, said CNN.
Related Article:
