(DailyAnswer.org) – Former President Donald Trump is not the only candidate who may be blocked from the 2024 election after a lawsuit has been filed against Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry to bar him from the ballot on the same grounds of insurrection. Activist Gene Stilp filed the lawsuit, arguing that Perry violated the constitution’s clause concerning insurrection by backing Trump’s claims about election fraud in 2020.
Perry is alleged to have conspired to have Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark installed to support Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was rigged. Trump has pleaded not guilty to four charges relating to the case, whereas Perry has not been charged. The congressman did, however, have his phone seized by the FBI to aid an election obstruction investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that Perry violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which makes it clear that an individual who has held a political office cannot run for office again after participating in insurrection or rebellion. John P. Rowley, Perry’s lawyer, expressed his confidence that the lawsuit will be dismissed, arguing that the activist filing the lawsuit lacks an understanding of the workings of American democracy and that the lawsuit is driven by an extremist seeking to remove an elected official he disagrees with.
Other Republicans who have faced 14th Amendment lawsuits are Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis. Lummis’ battle against the suit is ongoing after Wyoming’s secretary of state filed to dismiss it whereas the lawsuit against Greene was thrown out by a Georgia judge. As Democrats are switching parties to Republican in Pennsylvania at more than twice the rate of Republicans switching to Democrat, Perry appears to be one of few republican candidates under threat as Democrats seek to use his connections to Trump against him in President Biden’s state of birth.
As Perry fights his lawsuit Trump has asked the Supreme Court to overturn his ban from the ballot in Colorado, and has been re-added to the ballot until a decision has been made. Having made the same appeal in Maine the previous day, Trump awaits the outcome of a pending case in Oregon. Michigan and Minnesota have both dismissed attempts to remove the candidate from the ballot. Trump’s campaign spokesman Steven Cheung has called the ballot ban “un-American” and branded it election interference and unconstitutional.
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