Maine secretary of state disqualifies Trump from ballot under 14th Amendment

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has decided former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot.

Bellows, a Democrat, issued her decision on three challenges brought by Maine voters, including three politicians, over the nomination petition of Trump, for the GOP primary.

“I conclude that Mr. Trump's primary petition is invalid,” Bellows wrote in her decision. “Specifically, I find that the declaration on his candidate consent form is false because he is not qualified to hold the office of the President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

The ruling on Thursday evening makes Maine the second state in the nation to disqualify Trump from seeking the GOP presidential nomination under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Colorado is the only other state to rule him off its primary ballot, though the state Supreme Court’s decision has been stayed until Jan. 4, 2024, because the Colorado Republican Party appealed the court's Dec. 19 order to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday night.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.