Former President Donald Trump's historic conviction in the Stormy Daniels "hush money" case could keep him off the ballot in Washington state — where some residents are reportedly eager to see it happen.
A state law that dates back to 1865 allows registered voters to challenge the candidacy of anyone "convicted of a felony" which hasn't been reversed on appeal, the Seattle Times reported Saturday.
Seattle lawyer David Vogel told Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat that the law was all but certain to be invoked against Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee to challenge President Joe Biden in November.
"I have clients lined up who are going to be all over pursuing a ballot challenge in this case," said Vogel, a former King County prosecutor who was involved in a failed effort to bar Trump from the March 12 GOP primary.
Trump overwhelmingly won that contest with more than 76% of the vote and beat runner-up Nikki Haley nearly 4-to-1.
But it's unclear if the Washington law covers candidates for federal office, Westneat said, adding that he asked the Secretary of State's Office about it.
"Whether that provision applies would be a question for courts to decide," the office responded.
Regardless of whether Trump appears on the Evergreen State ballot, it's unlikely it would affect his chances for a second term in the White House.
In 2020, Biden easily beat Trump in Washington, 58% to 38.8%, and the state's voters haven't favored a Republican since 1984, when they helped President Ronald Reagan win reelection in a landslide, a 49-state victory over former Vice President Walter Mondale, according to the 270 to Win website.
Trump, the first former president to be prosecuted on criminal charges, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison following his Thursday conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.
During his trial in New York City, the porn star testified that she had a 2006 affair with Trump, who denies the claim and has vowed to appeal.
Trump is scheduled for sentencing on July 11, just days before his expected nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
