John, Our case in North Carolina is picking up steam. Rep. Madison Cawthorn recently tried to have the complaint against him dismissed on several ridiculous grounds. Perhaps the most galling of these is invoking the Amnesty Act of 1872, which he argues protects him from constitutional standards even if he did engage in an insurrection. As Mark Joseph Stern writes for Slate, “The fact that Cawthorn is turning to absurd arguments rooted in an old, odious law to defend himself helps to illustrate the bind he’s in…the lawyers contesting Cawthorn’s candidacy have already succeeded in transforming a largely forgotten constitutional provision into a genuine threat to the insurrectionist caucus.” Sign if you agree: January 6 insurrectionists must be banned from running for office. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualifies from public office any individual who has taken an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and then engages in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or gives aid or comfort to its enemies. This applies to all elected officials involved in the January 6th insurrection, including Madison Cawthorn. In the weeks leading up to January 6th, Cawthorn and his allies in the insurrection caucus worked closely with rally organizers in an effort to block certification of the 2020 election results. Cawthorn has frequently endorsed threats of political violence as a means of threatening Members of Congress, both leading up to and following the Capitol insurrection. Our democracy is in serious peril if Cawthorn, former President Trump, and members of the insurrection caucus are not held accountable for their actions. The Constitution is clear: Insurrectionists must be barred from the ballot. In solidarity, Free Speech For People |