Former President Donald Trump has called on the Maine secretary of state to recuse herself in the case surrounding his eligibility to be on the state’s primary ballot over comments she made about the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, will rule soon on whether Mr. Trump is allowed on the ballot for the March 5 GOP presidential primary. His lawyers on Wednesday sent a letter to her saying she’s unqualified because of “personal bias.”
“President Trump requests that the secretary disqualify herself from this matter because she has already concluded that President Trump engaged in insurrection — a determination that she made well before the submission of evidence or argument in this current matter,” the letter read. “Because the secretary has exhibited a personal bias in this matter, she should disqualify herself from further proceedings.”
The letter lists three Twitter posts from 2021 and 2022 when she shared her opinion about the protest of two years ago.
“The Jan. 6 insurrection was an unlawful attempt to overthrow the results of a free and fair election,” she posted on Feb. 13, 2021. “Today 57 senators, including King & Collins, found Trump guilty. That’s short of impeachment but nevertheless an indictment. The insurrectionists failed, and democracy prevailed.”
In another from the same day: “Not saying not disappointed. He should have been impeached. But history will not treat him or those who voted against impeachment kindly.”
On the first anniversary of the event, she posted a media report about her efforts to “protect” election officials and voting machine integrity.
“One year after the violent insurrection, it’s important to do all we can to safeguard our elections,” she wrote.
Maine joins a list of states that have been considering the former president’s eligibility to be on primary ballots over the 14th Amendment, which says those who engaged in insurrection cannot hold office. Colorado was the first state to have a court rule that he should be removed from the state’s primary ballot, a decision that Mr. Trump‘s campaign will fight.
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Mr. Trump can stay on the state’s 2024 primary ballot. The Minnesota Supreme Court also ruled that he’s good for its primary.
The Washington Times reached out to Ms. Bellows’ office for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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