Trump asks a court to prevent Michigan secretary of state from leaving his name off the 2024 ballot
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is asking a court to prevent Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson from leaving his name off the 2024 primary ballot.
In a filing made Monday in the Michigan Court of Claims, Trump’s attorneys also want the court to declare that Benson has neither the duty nor authority to assess Trump’s constitutional qualifications to serve as president.
Trump’s filing is in response to efforts by activists in Michigan who have asked a judge to order Benson to keep his name off any ballot for president. They point to a section of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that prohibits a person from running for federal office if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. or given aid or comfort to those who have.
Last week, a Court of Claims judge denied Trump’s request to dismiss their lawsuit, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The activists’ efforts mirror others around the nation that paint Trump as the inciter of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which was intended to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win.