The lawsuit filed to prevent Donald Trump from being on the ballot in Colorado in the 2024 presidential election was refused dismissal by Judge Sarah Wallace, who was chosen by Democratic Governor Jared Polis.
This case challenges Trump’s eligibility to serve as president under the Fourteenth Amendment, which bars anybody who have “engaged in insurrection” from doing so in the future. Trump was cleared of insurrection-related charges by the United States Senate, but he still faces a number of lawsuits on the issue in several jurisdictions.
The new ruling from the Colorado court did not rule on the merits of the case, and Trump has another move to have it dismissed pending. If this request is denied, then the trial before Judge Sarah Wallace will begin on October 30.
Trump claimed in his petition that he was within his rights under the First Amendment on January 6 since his actions dealt with “public issues.” In response, Judge Wallace ruled that Colorado’s free expression provision did not govern this situation.
A Trump campaign official expressed disappointment in Judge Wallace’s ruling and optimism that it would be overturned by the Colorado Supreme Court or the Supreme Court of the United States.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-profit watchdog group affiliated with Democratic strategist David Brock, filed the case. CREW has been accused of being biased toward conservatives and Republicans despite its claim of nonpartisanship.
Media Matters for America (MMfA), a leftist nonprofit suspected of being affiliated with the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign, and the Democratic-aligned opposition research Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century are both linked to David Brock. MMfA came to prominence when they defended actor Jussie Smollett’s hate crime accusations, calling everyone who doubted him a “right-wing smear” until evidence proved otherwise.