Judge rejects Trump 14th Amendment claim in Nevada by GOP political competitor
A federal judge in Nevada dismissed a ballot eligibility challenge against former President Trump on Tuesday, ruling the challenger does not have proper standing.
Federal Judge Gloria Navarro determined that the man who brought the challenge, long-shot GOP presidential candidate John Anthony Castro, didn’t have authentic standing to bring the suit, because he filed to run for president in order to manufacture legal standing.
“In rejecting his political competitor standing argument, courts have found that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit,” Navarro wrote.
Navarro cited an October article from The Associated Press, in which Castro admitted he had no intention to seriously pursue a campaign.
“I’m not going to lie and pretend my candidacy is anything more than trying to enforce the United States Constitution, and that’s what I’m here to do,” he told the AP. “I don’t want to distract anything from the mission. The fight’s going to be in the courtroom.”
Additionally, Castro’s challenge only applies to the state’s primary. Trump is not running in the Nevada primary, but instead in the state GOP’s rival caucus.
Castro has filed similar 14th Amendment claims against Trump in multiple states, and cases in New Hampshire and Florida have already been dismissed.
Navarro did not rule on the merits of the challenge.
Trump faces dozens of 14th Amendment challenges nationwide. Some have found success, including a Colorado case that will be heard by the Supreme Court.
The Colorado Supreme Court found last month that Trump’s actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots violate the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection clause,” which bars those who have assisted rebellion from holding office.
Trump has denounced the attempts as political meddling, and his attorneys have argued that the 14th Amendment clause doesn’t apply to the presidency.
The Trump campaign lauded the dismissal in a statement Tuesday, calling the Nevada suit “bogus” and “bad-faith.”
The dismissal “is not only a victory for President Trump, but a victory for all Americans and the people of Nevada,” spokesman Steven Cheung said.