In a Wednesday letter, former President Donald Trump’s legal team demanded that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) disqualify herself from making the decision as to whether Trump will be allowed to remain on the state’s ballot.
Trump’s legal team requested in the letter that Bellows disqualify herself “because she has already concluded that President Trump engaged in insurrection. — a determination that she made well before the submission of evidence or argument in this current matter.”
“Because the Secretary has exhibited a personal bias in this matter, she should disqualify herself from further proceedings,” the letter continued.
Unlike Colorado, where the state’s Supreme Court made the decision without evidence to block Trump from the ballot, Maine allows its secretary of state to first weigh in on a candidate’s eligibility for the ballot. The challengers are then allowed to appeal the decision in a state court.
As this decision will likely be left to Bellows, Trump’s legal team argued that the Democrat secretary of state is clearly too biased to make a proper determination — citing three specific instances that prove her personal bias.
One instance was a February 13, 2021, post on X, then known as Twitter, where Bellows declared: “The Jan 6 insurrection was an unlawful attempt to overthrow the results of a free and fair election. Today 57 Senators including King & Collins found Trump guilty. That’s short of impeachment but nevertheless an indictment. The insurrectionists failed, and democracy prevailed.”
The Jan 6 insurrection was an unlawful attempt to overthrow the results of a free and fair election. Today 57 Senators including King & Collins found Trump guilty. That’s short of impeachment but nevertheless an indictment. The insurrectionists failed, and democracy prevailed.
— Shenna Bellows (@shennabellows) February 13, 2021
In another post that same day about the impeachment vote, Bellows wrote: “Not saying not disappointed. He should have been impeached. But history will not treat him or those who voted against impeachment kindly.”
Not saying not disappointed. He should have been impeached. But history will not treat him or those who voted against impeachment kindly.
— Shenna Bellows (@shennabellows) February 13, 2021
Trump’s legal team cited a third post from January 6, 2022, one year after the Capitol protests, where Bellows responded to a news story about election security, writing: “One year after the violent insurrection, it’s important to do all we can to safeguard our elections.”
One year after the violent insurrection, it’s important to do all we can to safeguard our elections. https://t.co/0MUZNUuuim
— Shenna Bellows (@shennabellows) January 7, 2022
The letter addressed these posts, stating: “Using similar language, the Challengers have claimed that the events of January 6, 2021, constituted a violent insurrection and that President Trump somehow poses a danger from which Maine voters must be protected. Thus, the Secretary has already passed judgment on the Challengers’ core assertions.”
Trump’s legal team then argued that Bellows has “exhibited a personal bias” against the former president and has “bluntly stated that President Trump should have been impeached, and later called him an ‘insurrectionist’ who ‘failed.’”
“President Trump deserves a fair and impartial hearing,” the letter continued. “Both the Maine legislature and Maine courts demand that state administrative proceedings must be conducted fairly and with integrity. ‘In an agency proceeding, parties have a right to an impartial presiding officer.’”
Trump’s attorneys noted that they had only learned of this information on December 23, then went on to urge Bellows to “designate an impartial hearing officer, withdraw from considering the matter, and turn over final adjudication to that impartial hearing officer.”
“This is a far better course of action than rendering judgment after it has become evident,” the letter continued.
Meanwhile, there have been three different petitions filed by far-left entities in Maine challenging Trump’s eligibility to be on the state’s ballot. Bellows is slated to make the decision on the matter in the next few days.
This news comes as Colorado blocked Trump from being on the state’s ballot, and several other states are attempting to do the same, including California.
