John,
Two weeks ago, we won a historic victory in New Mexico—for the first time in 150 years, a court disqualified a public official from holding office under the 14th Amendment when a judge removed insurrectionist Couy Griffin from his position as Otero County Commissioner.
But our work isn’t over, and the precedent set by our victory could lead to more insurrectionists being held accountable. That’s why we sent Congress a letter today, calling their attention to our historic victory and making sure they’re aware of their role in enforcing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, also known as the Disqualification Clause. Read our letter here.
Congress has a long history of enforcing the Disqualification Clause, both during Reconstruction and after World War I, in refusing to seat members-elect for participating in insurrection and rebellion. Crucially, the judge’s ruling in New Mexico makes clear that the attack on the Capitol on January 6th was an insurrection—and that someone does not have to have been convicted of a crime or been violent in order to have engaged in insurrection.
Given all that, Congress must seriously consider whether any current—or future—members have disqualified themselves, and if it finds that they have, Congress must act and carry out its Constitutional duty.
Thank you,
Noah Bookbinder
President, CREW
