‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
[link removed] [[link removed]] John,

Our team just presented closing arguments in our lawsuit seeking to bar Donald Trump from the ballot in Colorado under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.

This was the final step before the judge makes a decision in the case, which we expect [[link removed]] within 48 hours.

Sean Grimsley, CREW’s co-counsel in the case, reviewed the evidence that we presented during the course of the trial that proves the following four points [[link removed]] :

1.
Trump
took
an
oath
as
an
officer
of
the
United
States
2.
January
6th
was
an
insurrection
against
the
Constitution
3.
Trump
engaged
in
that
insurrection
4.
The
secretary
of
state
can
enforce
constitutional
disqualification
and
has
done
so
in
the
past

As we laid out [[link removed]] in a filing last week: “By spearheading the fraudulent ‘fake elector’ scheme, and by perpetuating the lie that Vice President (Mike) Pence had authority to overturn the results of the election, Trump intentionally and fraudulently coordinated his supporters around a common unlawful purpose to disrupt the constitutionally mandated counting of the real presidential electoral votes.”

A Colorado assistant attorney general also requested that the judge rule on the merits of the case, to ensure that the secretary of state allows only qualified candidates to be placed on the ballot.

Finally, Scott Gessler, a lawyer on Trump’s team, closed by arguing that the January 6th Committee was biased and compared [[link removed]] Trump’s relationship with far right extremists to unrequited love, like a “stalker and his victim” or Jim Carey and his love interest in the movie Dumb and Dumber. He also called [[link removed]] the foundation of our case “rotten.”

Key Moments

“Sean Grimsley, a lawyer representing the voters, accused Trump of leading a ‘multi-faceted scheme to stay in power by any means necessary.’ During his closing argument, Grimsley added: ‘Through his actions and his actions alone, Donald Trump has disqualified himself from ever holding office again.’”

“Scott Gessler, a lawyer for Trump, faulted plaintiffs in the case for relying on the findings of the Democratic-led House committee that investigated the Capitol riot, which he said was biased against Trump.

‘The petitioners are asking this court to do something that has never been done in the history of the United States,’ Gessler said. ‘The evidence doesn't come close to allowing the court to do it this time.’” — Reuters [[link removed]]

“The plaintiffs' attorney, Sean Grimsley, told the judge during Wednesday's hearing that the evidence was clear. ‘We are here because, for the first time in our nation’s history, the president of the United States engaged in an insurrection,’ he said, summing up their case. ‘Now he wants to be president again. The Constitution does not allow that.’" — Associated Press [[link removed]]

Livestream

C-SPAN aired today’s portion of the trial in full, which you can watch here [[link removed]] .

Selected News Coverage

*
Colorado
hearing
into
whether
Trump
can
remain
on
the
state’s
primary
ballot
wraps
up
[[link removed]]
,
Associated
Press
*
Closing
arguments
wrap
up
in
trial
that
decides
if
Donald
Trump
makes
Colorado's
primary
ballot
[[link removed]]
,
CBS
News

Thanks for following along during our 14th Amendment trial challenging Donald Trump’s ballot eligibility in Colorado. We expect a decision in the case in the coming days and will let you know when the judge rules.

If you’d like to support our work, please consider making a donation today! [[link removed]]If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

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CFC 42218
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
PO Box 14596
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