Letter: No charges or convictions based on 14th Amendment

Published 3:00 am Saturday, January 13, 2024

Officials in two states, Colorado and Maine, have seen fit to (try to) exclude Donald Trump from their state’s primary election ballot, the stated reason being, in both cases, that Trump is guilty of “insurrection” as defined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I am unaware that Trump has been charged with any crime covered by the 14th Amendment, much less convicted of one. So it is obvious that the relevant officials in these two states are using their positions of authority to further the agenda of the Democratic Party — the party to which they all belong. Apparently these officials do not believe in due legal process, and are thus quite willing to impose sanctions against candidates they fear and whose political views do not match their own.

These officials need to be removed from office forthwith as they seem to think their opinions about Trump are proof positive of some crime he has committed (but not charged with nor convicted of). In matters of law, it is facts which matter, not opinions. We will hear from the U.S. Supreme Court on this matter in due course and I am willing to bet the Democrats will not like what that court rules.

Mike Koonce

Bend

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