05/26/2022

Federal Court Overturns Cawthorn Ruling

It says insurrectionist candidates can be barred from office

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) is on his way out of Congress — and it might be for good. 

That's because a federal appeals court on Tuesday overturned a district court ruling that blocked a challenge to Cawthorn’s eligibility to serve in Congress. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of North Carolina voters by a group called Free Speech for People, argued that Cawthorn had violated the 14th Amendment by allegedly aiding the Jan. 6 insurrection and, therefore, shouldn’t be allowed to serve in Congress. In March, a federal judge said Cawthorn was protected by a Civil War-era law that was meant to give amnesty to Confederates who fought against the Union, but that ruling was reversed Tuesday. 

Cawthorn lost his primary race last week so he’s on the outs, but the appeals court ruling could be grounds to bar him from running for office again in the future. The ruling is also bad news for Cawthorn’s fellow Republican extremists in Congress, like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

Please select this link to read the complete article from MSNBC.