Voters sue to block Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for re-election

A group of voters in Georgia have filed a lawsuit seeking to block Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for re-election under a constitutional provision barring "insurrectionists." File Pool Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/UPI

March 24 (UPI) — A group of Georgia voters is seeking to block Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s re-election bid, citing her alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

Free Speech For the People, a non-profit group that represents the voters, announced the lawsuit Thursday, saying the group alleges that Greene is ineligible to run for re-election under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bars anyone “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from serving in Congress.

The challenge cites statements Greene made in the weeks leading up to the riots referring to the Jan. 6 confirmation of the 2020 presidential election results as “our 1776 moment” in an interview the day before in which she also accused President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “treason” that she said is “punishable by death.”

“It’s rare for any conspirator, let alone a member of Congress, to publicly admit that the goals of their actions are preventing a peaceful transfer of power and the death of the president-elect and speaker of the House, but that’s exactly what Marjorie Taylor Greene did,” said Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech For People.

“The Constitution disqualifies from public office any elected officials who aided the insurrection, and we look forward to asking Rep. Greene about her involvement under oath.”

Greene and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., held a press conference on the anniversary of the riots, promoting conspiracies that the federal government was behind the insurrection.

The challenge, filed with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, will be sent to the Georgia office of state administrative hearings to make recommendations on how the secretary of state’s office should proceed.

After a review of the recommendations, the secretary of state’s office will decide on a course of action.

Greene has denied any involvement in the insurrection, and no evidence linking her to the riots has been published by law enforcement or congressional committees investigating the attack.

“I’ve never encouraged political violence and never will,” Greene said.

Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked a similar challenge — also led by Free Speech For the People — against Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C.. stating that the North Carolina State Board of Elections didn’t have the authority to remove his name from the ballot.

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