A Wisconsin brewery owner has filed a lawsuit to try and keep former President Donald Trump off of the state’s Republican primary ballots.
Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company, is attempting to use the same playbook as the similar lawsuits in other states.
The lawsuit alleges that Trump is “ineligible” to hold office for engaging in an “insurrection,” even though he has not been charged with or faced trial for that crime.
Like the others, the lawsuit cites Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was adopted after the Civil War.
Bangstad told Wisconsin Public Radio that Trump “continuously lied” about the 2020 election results and noted that hundreds of people have been charged and convicted over the January 6 protest.
The liberal activist also pointed to the convictions of two former members of the Proud Boys for seditious conspiracy, though one of the men, Enrique Tarrio, was not even in DC at the time of the protest.
“They committed violence against our country because Trump essentially asked them to,” Bangstad said. “There’s no question about that. So to me, it’s worth trying even though it’s an anachronism of an amendment that hasn’t been used since the Civil War.”
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of a similar lawsuit and the United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in the case.
Oral arguments are scheduled to begin in February.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has also opted to block Trump from the Republican primary ballot in her state.
Trump filed an appeal over her decision on Tuesday.
WPR reports:
On Tuesday, Wisconsin’s Presidential Preference Selection Committee, which is run by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, voted unanimously to place seven candidates, including Trump, on the ballot for the state’s presidential primary in April.
Bangstad referred to his lawsuit as a “hail mary” and criticized U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul for not filing charges against Trump.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, told the Associated Press that he opposes keeping Trump off the ballot and wants to “let the people decide.”
“Do I think that he has done things that make Donald Trump disqualified?” Evers said. “Yeah, but then people can vote against him.”
