WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) — A Texas Republican named John Anthony Castro has filed lawsuits in multiple states, including West Virginia, to keep former President Donald Trump off the upcoming 2024 ballot.
Castro claims Trump can’t hold political office because of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.
The amendment says that anyone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the US cannot run for office. As it stands, Mr. Trump has not been convicted on those charges.
12 News’ Wheeling-area affiliate, 7News, spoke to West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R) about it, who called the whole situation ridiculous, and said it’s likely being funded by anti-Trump activists.
“We have laws in our state, we have a Secretary of State who is a very good election officer, and I think this is a ridiculous attack on former President Trump and on the Republican Party,” Capito said. “So I would oppose that and hopefully it won’t get any more attention than it has now, because I think that it’s bound to lose in court.”
The version of this lawsuit filed in Florida has already been lost in court.
State Senator Ryan Weld of Brooke County had even harsher words, accusing Castro of lying about being a West Point graduate, and calling it yet another political stunt.
