By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Republicans, for now, will have the opportunity to vote for former president Donald Trump in the March 19 primary. The Illinois State Board of Elections Tuesday ruled it did not have jurisdiction over the objections filed to Trump’s candidacy, and is leaving him on the ballot until or unless a court removes him.
“He claimed that the election was somehow stolen, with no facts or legal authority,” said Matthew Piers to the board Tuesday. The objectors’ lawyer added, “He took a leading role in organizing, facilitating, supporting, and protecting an armed and violent invasion, seizure, and disruption of the United States Congress on Jan 6,” 2021 – and while Congress was certifying the 2020 results.”
Trump counsel Adam Merrill said the then-president never intended for the protest to turn violent. What’s more, Merrill argued that being unfit for office is not the same as being unfit for candidacy.
Regardless, the board voted 8-0 that this is not board members’ job, otherwise, said member Jack Vrett in making his motion, “what we would see if we exceeded our authority is every possible school board candidate who seeks to challenge the qualifications, and this board and the other electoral boards are certainly not constituted to do so.”
Vrett’s motion followed the recommendation of the board’s own hearing officer, who heard arguments last week.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
