Efforts To Remove Trump From Primary Ballot Are 'Doomed To Legal Failure', Says Ex-Attorney General

In a recently penned op-ed, former Attorney General Bill Barr has expressed his dismay and skepticism over efforts to remove former President Donald Trump from primary ballots.

What Happened: The Hill reported on Tuesday that in Barr’s article in The Free Press, he criticized the recent actions of Maine and Colorado to exclude Trump from their primary ballots under the 14th Amendment.

"The actions of Colorado and Maine, and other states that follow suit, are not only doomed to legal failure, they also embolden and empower the former president," Barr wrote.

He also suggested that these efforts erode the legitimacy of true attempts to hold Trump accountable, casting an impression of the elite manipulating the system. He further contended that states lack the legal authority to enforce the 14th Amendment’s disqualification provision using their makeshift procedures.

See Also: Trump Privately Worries Over Ballot Eligibility As Supreme Court Decision Looms

The decision of Maine and Colorado to omit Trump from their ballots has elicited a broad backlash from Republicans. The disputes in both states are expected to escalate to the Supreme Court.

Why It Matters: This development follows a series of legal and political controversies surrounding Trump and his associates. In January 2024, a federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, against Trump, Barr, and other Justice Department officials. Cohen had alleged a violation of his constitutional rights when he was sent back to prison after he criticized Trump.

Moreover, in November 2023, concerns were raised about a last-minute pardon issued by Trump to Jonathan Braun in 2021, which reportedly “destroyed” a Department of Justice investigation into predatory lending.

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