Mar 24, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Lawsuit: Georgia voters argue Greene should be "disqualified" from office

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks a news conference in the rain outside of the U.S. Capitol on March 17, 2022 in Washington, DC.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A group of Georgia voters filed a legal challenge Thursday arguing that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is "constitutionally disqualified from congressional office" for her involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Driving the news: "Greene repeatedly advocated for political violence, up to and including, her encouragement of insurrectionists on January 6," the group of voters, represented by Free Speech for People, argue.

  • The challenge contends that Greene violated the 14th Amendment, which states that no person, "who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress ... shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion."
  • The legal challenge, filed with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, argues that Greene "is not qualified to seek and hold the public office."

What she's saying: "This is the same evil playbook the dishonest Communist Democrats use against President Trump and his family," Greene said in a statement to Axios.

  • "I’ll never stop fighting for the good people of Northwest Georgia," she said.

The big picture: Raffensperger must now request a hearing before an administrative law judge to determine whether the lawmaker is qualified for office, per Georgia law.

  • In that hearing "the entire burden is placed [upon the candidate] to affirmatively establish [their] eligibility for office," according to the suit.

A group of North Carolina voters also filed a legal challenge earlier this year to disqualify Rep. Madison Cawthorn from running for re-election, citing his involvement in a rally preceding the Capitol insurrection.

  • Free Speech For People, along with several North Carolina attorneys, also represent the voters in this case.

Go deeper: North Carolina voters file suit to disqualify Rep. Cawthorn's re-election bid

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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