Judge rules Trump ‘incited’ Jan. 6 riots, but can remain on Colorado primary ballot

A Colorado judge has rejected an attempt to bar former President Trump from the state’s primary ballot over 14th Amendment claims, according to court documents filed Friday.

District Judge Sarah Wallace agreed with plaintiffs that Trump “incited” the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on the Capitol and could be disqualified using the 14th Amendment, but that the law’s wording means it does not apply specifically to the office of president.

The activist group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), four Republicans and two independent Colorado voters filed a suit in September pushing for Trump’s removal. 

The lawsuit claims the former president’s actions related to the insurrection were in violation of the amendment, which stipulates that those who engage in acts of insurrection are no longer eligible to run for elected offices.