(WBBM NEWSRADIO) --The Illinois State Board of Elections heard arguments Friday for and against removing former President Donald Trump’s name from the ballot.
Matthew Piers, a lawyer representing the objectors, argued that the 14th Amendment bars anyone who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and who has engaged in insurrection from holding office again.
He played video clips from January 6, 2021 of people rioting outside of the U.S. Capitol in support of Trump.
“Mr. Trump achieved his goal of disrupting and at least significantly delaying the constitutionally mandated electoral vote count that would and ultimately did certify Joe Biden as the winner of the election,” Piers said during the hearing, WCIA 3 reports.
He also said that Trump "incited the crowd into a frenzy against the Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, and in support of Mr. Trump’s own stated goal of stopping the process of counting the electoral votes.”
Scott Gessler handled the arguments for the former President, according to WCIA 3. He said “the term insurrection is undefined" and that Trump's speech to his supporters that day did amount to an incitement of violence.
“President Trump at his speech at the rally said, ‘I know you will be marching down to the Capitol peacefully,'” Gessler said. “The call to action was to go down to the Capitol and make your voices peacefully and patriotically heard.”
The Board of Elections will make a decision next week.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider the Colorado decision knocking the former President off the ballot.
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