Maine secretary of state who opted to keep Trump off primary ballot is facing threat of impeachment
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine's top election official could face an impeachment attempt in the state Legislature over her decision to keep former President Donald Trump out of the Republican primary.
At least one Republican lawmaker has vowed to pursue impeachment proceedings against Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows despite overwhelming odds in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
Bellows said Friday she had no comment on the impeachment efforts, but said she was required by state law to rule on three challenges filed by registered voters in Maine. She reiterated that she had put her decision on hold pending an expected appeal from Trump to the Superior Court.
“Under Maine law, I have not only the authority, but the obligation to act,” she said. “I will follow the Constitution and the rule of law as directed by the courts,” she added.
Bellows' decision Thursday followed a ruling earlier this month by the Colorado Supreme Court, which removed Trump from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That decision is on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether Trump violated the Civil War provision barring those “engaged in the insurrection” from holding office.
“In 150 years, no candidate has been kept off the ballot for participating in an uprising. It's happened to Donald Trump twice now in the last two weeks. There will be a lot of pressure on the Supreme Court to provide clarity very soon,” said Derek Muller, a professor at Notre Dame Law School and election law scholar.
In Maine, state Rep. John Andrews, who serves on the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, called the decision “hyper-partisanship on full display” as he pushed for impeachment proceedings. He said he had sent a message to the state auditor's office for a joint order to get things moving ahead of lawmakers' return to Augusta next week.
“There is bipartisan opposition to the Secretary of State's extreme decision. She has clearly overstepped her authority. It remains to be seen whether her attempted voter suppression efforts will garner enough support from Democrats to remove her from her position,” said House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham.
The decision exposed Bellows to hate and vitriol on social media — along with messages of support — and her office said Bellows and members of her staff were exposed to threats, something she called “unacceptable.”
“My duty is to the Constitution and the rule of law. It is the Constitution and the rule of law that make our Democratic Republic so great. No one should be threatened while doing their job,” she said Friday evening.
“I hope that the people who engage in angry and threatening communications will think about the impact of their words and actions,” she added.
Of Maine's congressional delegation, only Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who represents the liberal 1st Congressional District, supported Bellows' conclusion that Trump had incited an insurrection, justifying his removal from the March 5 primary.
U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent who aligns with Democrats, said Friday that in the absence of a final judicial decision on the insurrection issue, the decision on whether Trump should be considered for president “should rest with the people.” as reflected in free and fair elections. .”
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat who represents the 2nd Congressional District, agreed that “until (Trump) is found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot.”
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, the state's top senator, was one of a handful of Republicans who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, and she criticized him in a speech for failing to uphold his oath of office.
But she nonetheless disagreed with Bellows' decision. “Maine voters should decide who wins the election, not a secretary of state chosen by the legislature,” she said.