
Illinois has decided to let ex-President Donald Trump remain on the state's presidential primary ballot.Dismissing claims of Trump's ineligibility under the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause, the Illinois State Board of Elections unanimously voted to let Trump stay on the ballot.
The bipartisan board, made up of eight members, said it didn't have the authority to decide on the challenge.
The lawsuit accused Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election and inciting the Capitol attack on January 6. Trump and his lawyers have denied the allegation and argue that he didn't engage in insurrection.
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"Trump did not engage in insurrection, as that term is used in the Constitution," said Trump's attorney Adam Merrill on Tuesday.
"It is a complicated legal term that has been rarely interpreted and it wasn't even articulated correctly by the hearing officer in this case and, frankly, never should have reached it because of the lack of evidence, and because of the lack of jurisdiction," he added.
The group Free Speech for the People, representing the voters, expressed disappointment and plans to appeal. They said that the courts would show "why Illinois law authorises that ruling despite Trump's subjective belief that the Constitution doesn’t apply to him."
Celebrating the decision, Trump said the board's ruling was "protecting the Citizens of our Country from the Radical Left Lunatics who are trying to destroy it."
The decision comes just a week before the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on February 8 regarding a similar challenge to Trump in Colorado. The Colorado Supreme Court had ruled Trump ineligible for their primary under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
Dozens of similar challenges have been considered by courts across the US. To date, only the Colorado Supreme Court and Maine's secretary of state have ruled that Trump was ineligible to participate in their primary process.
(With inputs from agencies)