Wisconsin election officials have rejected a complaint aimed at removing former President Trump from the state’s primary ballot, invoking the 14th Amendment.
Kirk Bangstad, owner of a brewery in Madison, Wisconsin, filed the complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission, asserting that Trump should be disqualified from the ballot due to his involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
The commission dismissed the complaint on procedural grounds, citing the 14th Amendment, and interestingly, listed members of the commission as respondents.
Commission spokesperson Riley Vetterkind explained that the complaint was not considered by the Commission, stating, “It is the position of the Commission that a complaint against the Commission, against Commissioners in their official capacities, or against Commission staff, warrants an ethical recusal by the body.”
Bangstad’s complaint mirrors similar efforts in Colorado and Maine, where removal actions have been accepted, pending legal appeals.
The 14th Amendment explicitly prohibits individuals who “engage in insurrection” from holding office. Notably, both the Maine Secretary of State and the Colorado Supreme Court determined that Trump’s conduct on January 6 met the criteria outlined in the 14th Amendment.