Maine’s top election official has ruled that former United States President , Donald Trump, cannot run for presidential election next year in the state, citing a constitutional insurrection clause.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said Trump was not eligible because of his actions leading up to the United States Capitol riot in 2021.
The BBC also reports that Maine has now joined Colorado as the two states to ban Trump from the ballot.
Both decisions are likely to face appeals in court.
The 34-page ruling further disclosed that Trump must be removed from the ballot because he “engaged in insurrection or rebellion”.
In her order, Mrs Bellows says that Trump “over the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct them to the Capitol”.
She added that his “occasional requests that rioters be peaceful and support law enforcement do not immunize his actions”.
