Judge Tosses Trump Ballot Eligibility Challenge After Saying Plaintiff 'Manufactured' Standing
An effort to keep former President Donald Trump off the presidential ballot in Nevada was swatted aside Monday after a judge ruled the suit was a contrived bit of political theater.
U.S. District Court Judge Gloria M. Navarro rejected the suit of John Anthony Castro without discussing the merit of his claim that the 14th Amendment bars Trump from being on the ballot. Navarro was appointed by former President Barack Obama, according to Newsweek.
“This is a politically charged question of significant interest to the American public,” the ruling said, adding that, however, “the Court finds that Castro lacks standing, and the Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.”
The ruling said Castro claims he would be damaged by Trump’s candidacy because he will be appearing on Nevada’s primary ballot, adding “the Court finds that Castro lacks standing, and the Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.”
“In rejecting his political competitor standing argument, courts have found that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit,” the ruling said.
81% of Democrats think President Trump’s name should be removed from the ballot.
Thought they were the “pro-Democracy” party?
Because nothing says “democracy” more than kicking someone off the ballot.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) January 9, 2024
The ruling quoted from a New Hampshire ruling against Castro that said, “evidence indicates that Castro is creating his own injury in order to manufacture standing to challenge Trump’s eligibility to run for president. Indeed, by his own admission, Castro declared as a candidate and paid the filing fee to show the impermissibility of Trump’s presidency.”
The ruling noted that, “In an Associated Press article that Castro invited the courts to consider, Castro is quoted as stating, ‘I’m not going to lie and pretend my candidacy is anything more than trying to enforce the United States Constitution, and that’s what I’m here to do.’”
The ruling said the two are not even competing, because Castro is running in the Nevada Republican Party’s primary, while Trump is running in a GOP caucus, and not the primary.
JUST IN: Lawsuit Seeking to REMOVE TRUMP FROM THE BALLOT in Nevada Dismissed..
ARE THESE POLITICAL PERSECUTIONS HELPING OR HURTING TRUMP?
“Today’s dismissal of another BOGUS, bad-faith, Crooked Joe Biden-engineered attempt to deprive Americans as a whole, and the voters of… pic.twitter.com/Pn5mtEioyv
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) January 10, 2024
“Because Castro does not have standing to challenge Trump’s eligibility to run for president, the Court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the merits of this case,” the ruling said.
Trump campaign representative Steven Cheung said that “dismissal of another bogus, bad-faith, Crooked Joe Biden-engineered attempt to deprive Americans as a whole, and the voters of Nevada specifically, of their right to vote for the candidate of their choice is not only a victory for President Trump, but a victory for all Americans and the people of Nevada,” according to Fox News.
“President Trump remains undefeated in federal court against these cynical efforts to interfere in the 2024 election. Courts in eleven states have now dismissed similar, pathetic, 14th Amendment ballot cases,” Cheung said.
“Make no mistake, each and every one of these ‘ballot-challenges’ are blatant attempts to steal the election for Crooked Joe Biden and disenfranchise over 100 million American voters,” he said.
“President Trump is the leading candidate for not only the Republican primary, but the general election and his opponents are desperate. Rest assured that he will fight each and every one of these disgraceful attacks on American democracy, he will win, and we will all Make America Great Again,” he said.
Last month, the Colorado Supreme Court removed Trump from the ballot, citing the 14th Amendment. Trump has since appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The court will hear arguments on the case on Feb. 8.
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