(TargetLiberty.org) – A Republican lawmaker is facing the threat of being blocked from running in November’s elections, after a group of liberals invoked an obscure post-Civil War law in an attempt to keep his name off the ballot.
On February 21, a group calling itself Free Speech For People filed a candidacy challenge against Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), claiming his alleged involvement in last January’s Capitol riot makes him ineligible to serve in Congress. According to the group, which appears to consist of just 11 voters, Cawthorn is disqualified by a clause in the 14th Amendment.
They're coming for the America First fighters. pic.twitter.com/nBWdKVluBB
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) February 22, 2022
The clause prohibits those who engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the government from holding a position within the government. It’s one of those so-called Reconstruction Amendments adopted in the aftermath of the Civil War. Although much of it deals with granting citizenship to former slaves, Section 3 is what blocks those who were allegedly involved in any form or insurrection from holding office. This clause was added to keep unrepentant Confederates out of government, but now it’s being used over 150 years later to keep a GOP candidate from running for office.
On Monday, Cawthorn told Tucker Carlson that the group is “very close” to blocking his candidacy in November, and said his fate is now in the hands of the State Board of Election. He said the future of the nation is at stake here, and warned of dire consequences if the Left gains the power to bar their opponents from government office.
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