New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan (R) backtracked on his inquiry to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot after widespread criticism.
Scanlan had discussed 14th Amendment provisions with New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, looking to see if Trump would be eliminated from the ballot.
“I have some in-house staff attorneys that are election experts. I will be asking the attorney general’s office for their input. And ultimately, whatever is decided is probably going to require some judicial input,” Scanlan said at the time.
“Secretary Scanlan will be conferring with the New Hampshire Attorney General and other legal counsel on this issue; however, he believes any action taken under this Constitutional provision will have to be based on Judicial guidance,” Scanlan’s communications director Anna Sventek said to ABC News.
Scanlan then told NBC News that he is “not seeking to remove any names from the presidential primary ballot, and I have not said that I am seeking to remove any names from the presidential primary ballot.”
“I listened, just as I would listen to anybody that wants to come in with issues related to any candidate’s qualifications one way or the other,” he explained.
“I intend to be prepared by seeking appropriate legal input so that when the time comes to make a decision on those challenges to qualifications, I can respond appropriately with the facts.”
Reporting from Conservative Brief:
New Hampshire attorney Bryant “Corky” Messner, whom Trump previously endorsed in New Hampshire’s 2020 U.S. Senate race, appears to be the one who put the issue on Scanlan’s radar. “I really don’t view myself as turning on Trump, as odd as that sounds,” Messner told ABC News. “I love this country. I’ve served this country. I’ve taken an oath to this country. My sons are serving right now and I believe someone’s got to step up to defend the Constitution.” “Someone needs to take some action legally so this thing can get in front of the Supreme Court sooner rather than later to interpret this section,” he added.
