Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Barred from New York Ballot, Court Declares
New York, NY – Judge Rules Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Ballot Appeal
The independent presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hit a wall on Monday when a Judge in Albany ruled against his petition to appear on New York’s ballot. The judge stated that Mr. Kennedy had manipulated an address in what is terms as a “sham” to maintain his New York residency.
This ruling, assuming it remains unchallenged, signifies that Mr. Kennedy will not appear on the ballot in a state he has called home for most of his adult life. Further, it poses a significant threat to his endeavors to be placed on ballots across dozens of other states.
Kennedy’s Campaign Faces Challenge from Clear Choice
A selection of New York residents, backed by the political action committee Clear Choice which aligns with the Democrats, had challenged Mr. Kennedy’s New York residency. The group argued that his campaign had deliberately provided a false address on the extensive number of nominating petitions it circulated and submitted to have him placed on the ballot.
Lawyer representing Mr. Kennedy, William F. Savino, responded to this development by stating via email that Kennedy had “always planned to appeal any adverse ruling.”
Plan For Federal Court Appeal
By late Monday, the campaign had expressed its intent to file a lawsuit in a federal court in Manhattan. According to the campaign’s senior counsel, Paul Rossi, “The 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution governs the residency of presidential and vice-presidential candidates, not state law.” He added, “If state court judges are going to ignore the Constitution, the federal courts must step in to protect voters’ rights.”
Mr. Kennedy expressed his disappointment, commenting that “The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy. They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice. We will appeal, and we will win.” Clear Choice reacted to the ruling, stating that it “makes clear that Mr. Kennedy lied about his residency and provided a false address on his filing papers and candidate petitions in New York, intentionally misleading election officials and betraying voters’ trust.”
A Pivotal Decision for Kennedy’s Campaign
This significant ruling comes during a critical stage of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign, potentially hampering his chances of appearing on ballots across the country. While his campaign has indicated they plan to appeal the decision, this moment indeed marks a bump in the road during an already contentious election season.
It now remains to be seen whether this court decision will withstand Mr. Kennedy’s appeal, and how significantly this could impact not just his campaign but voter choices and the overall course of the election.
Status of Kennedy’s Appeal
As of now, Mr. Kennedy has three days to appeal the decision. What the outcome of his appeal will be and how this may potentially influence the fortunes of his campaign and the larger election landscape is a closely watched development. Any significant developments in this regard will be keenly monitored and reported to keep our readers well informed.
