ALBANY, NY — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared in court in New York on Monday to face a lawsuit alleging he falsely claimed to live in New York while trying to get on the state’s ballot.
Kennedy sat at his lawyers’ table, taking occasional notes, as the civil trial began in the state capital, Albany. Under state election law, a judge will decide the case without a jury.
The lawsuit alleges that Kennedy falsely stated in his nomination petition that he lived in the northern suburbs of New York, when in fact he has lived in Los Angeles since 2014, when he married “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.
The lawsuit seeks to invalidate his petition. The case was brought by Clear Choice PAC, a super PAC led by supporters of Democratic President Joe Biden.
“Candidate Kennedy does not reside in New York State,” attorney Keith Corbett said in his opening statement.
Kennedy has the potential to do better than any independent presidential candidate in decades, as he has built a following with a famous name and a loyal baseStrategists from both major parties worry he could get enough votes to swing the election.
His campaign has said he has enough signatures to qualify in 42 statesso far. His campaign has faced challenges and lawsuits in several states, including North Carolina And New Jersey.
Kennedy’s petition for the New York ballot lists his residence as a house owned by a friend in Katonah, an upscale suburb about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Midtown Manhattan. But the lawsuit alleges that the candidate “has no meaningful or continuing ties to the property” and “has spent vanishingly little time there, if any.”
He has no written lease and the neighbors have not seen him, according to the lawsuit filed in June.
“In addition, the evidence will show that Kennedy’s wife and children reside in California, along with his three dogs, two ravens, an emu and his personal belongings,” the lawsuit said.
Kennedy’s lawyers argue that the 70-year-old candidate, who led a New York environmental organization for decades and whose namesake father was a New York senator, has lived in the state since he was 10.
“Although Mr. Kennedy purchased a home in California and temporarily relocated his family there while his wife pursued her acting career, Mr. Kennedy is and always has been a New Yorker,” his attorneys wrote in a court document.
In legal arguments before the trial, Kennedy’s attorney F. Michael Ostrander said his client has an “ongoing connection” to the Katonah area.
According to the court filing, Kennedy visits the Katonah home as often as he can during his campaign, pays New York state income taxes, and pays rent to the owner of the Katonah home. There, he receives mail, is registered to vote, has a license to practice law, keeps clothing and family photos, has a registered car and lists it as his address on his driver’s license, and more.
“He even keeps his beloved falcons in New York State,” attorney William Savino said in a news release Monday, adding that Kennedy plans to move back to New York once his wife retires from acting.
The trial comes a day after a video was posted on social media in which Kennedy explains an event in his life in New York: how he got his life back on track a decade ago. a bear killed by a motorist and left in New York’s Central Park with a bicycle on top.
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Associated Press editor Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.