RFK Jr backed as he is hit with lawsuit seeking to oust him from New Jersey ballot

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY: The prospects of independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr gaining access to the New Jersey ballot have been jeopardized by a legal challenge brought forth by a Democratic election attorney.

On Tuesday, June 25, attorney Scott Salmon filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court, alleging that RFK Jr violated Garden State's Sore Loser law by seeking to appear on the general election ballot after forgoing the primary election.

The 70-year-old initially launched his 2024 presidential campaign as a Democrat but subsequently transitioned to an independent candidacy in October, last year, according to the New York Post.

What did Democratic election lawyer Scott Salmon claim in his Tuesday court filing?

Attorney Scott Salmon wrote in the court filing, “Frankly, had Defendant Kennedy believed he was likely to have successfully won the nomination of the Democratic Party in the primary, he would not have withdrawn from the election months beforehand.”

Kennedy Jr dropped out of the 2024 Democratic primary long before President Joe Biden secured enough delegates to win the 2024 presidential nomination. However, several polls indicated the POTUS’s strong position at that time.

Salmon, the same lawyer who opposed Ye's efforts to gain ballot access in 2020, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, ended up with Ye giving up his attempts to get on the ballot in New Jersey.

“I’m representing myself, so I will be transferring money from my savings account to my checking account. But seriously, nobody is paying me to do this,” Salmon clarified on X.

“I’m paying for the privilege (and filing fees) out of pocket because I believe it’s the right thing to do,” the lawyer added.

According to Salmon's filing, Kennedy Jr's third-party candidacy might lessen the impact of his own vote in the general election.

“His conduct strikes at the heart of New Jersey’s Sore Loser Law, and as such, he must be barred from appearing on the ballot, and should only be permitted to wage a write-in campaign in the upcoming election,” the Democratic election attorney asserted in his Tuesday court filing.

Robert F Kennedy Jr has secured ballot access in at least six states, with petition processing underway in over a dozen states and signature collection ongoing in the remaining states, according to Politico's ballot access tracker.

Throughout his campaign, Kennedy Jr has faced allegations from strategists across the political spectrum suggesting that he could potentially spoil the upcoming presidential race. Kennedy Jr has refuted these claims.

In a five-way race, RFK Jr is currently averaging 6.7%, with former President Donald Trump leading at 42.6% and President Joe Biden at 40.4%, based on the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls.

Kennedy Jr submitted his petition for ballot access in New Jersey in May; however, the state will not certify his candidacy until after July 29, which is the filing deadline, as reported by the New Jersey Globe.

Internet backs RFK Jr as he is hit with lawsuit seeking to oust him from New Jersey ballot

One X user remarked, "@DNC is doing the same thing in multiple states. Law-fare, trying to kick @RobertKennedyJr off the ballot for fear they can’t beat him at the ballot box."

Another user claimed, "Democrats trying to control who you can vote for. It's amazing what they do to their political opponents in a free and fair America. Every time I read stories like this I feel like I'm reading something from Russia, North Korea, Belarus, even Iran."

Another user said, "We always underestimate the machine. More surprises coming the next 4 months."

One user wrote, "Democrats getting desperate."

Another X user argued, "I’m incredulous of any lawsuit that seeks to remove anyone from any ballot."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Just let people vote."

 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.