Will President Trump Be Kicked Off the 2020 New Jersey Presidential Ballot?

The leftists never quit. Today, WFSB, channel 3, reports that the New Jersey State Senate has passed a bill requiring Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates to disclose tax returns for the previous 5 years. From the article,

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump could miss out on being on the 2020 ballot in New Jersey if he doesn’t disclose his tax returns under a bill now advancing.
The Democratic-led state Senate passed legislation Thursday inspired by the Republican president’s failure to disclose his tax returns.

The measure requires presidential and vice presidential candidates to release five years of federal tax returns in order to appear on the state’s Presidential & Vice Presidential ballots.

Trump broke with decades of tradition by refusing to release his income tax filings during his 2016 campaign. He said it was because he is being audited.

This is typical leftist noise that takes advantage of many folks’ who have little or no real financial expertise. Candidates for federal office, elected or appointed, are already required to file Federal Financial Disclosure documents. This also applies to certain senior military officers, mostly in senior command positions, or those involved with acquisition or contracting operations.

These documents are far more detailed than any personal tax return. I know. I’ve had to fill out a few Federal Financial Disclosure documents and definitely more than a few 1040’s. The FFD is much more of a pain in the 4th Point Of Contact than a 1040 ever was. I won’t show you my FFD, but you can see President Trump’s 2016 filing here.

Not noted by WSFB, but picked up by New Jersey Spotlight.com,

The measure would also prohibit Electoral College electors from voting for any candidate who did not comply with the disclosure requirement.

This is an interesting legal twist. New Jersey is likely on shaky legal ground by attempting to bar a constitutionally qualified president from the ballot. From the United States Constitution

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

Pretty clear cut and also a pretty clear loser in court. Here’s where it gets interesting. Except as noted thusly,

no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector,

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President,

Other than as stated above, there are virtually no constitutional restrictions as to how the states may close their electors, nor are there any restrictions as to who the electors may or must vote for.

In short, keeping President Trump off the ballot because of a political jab masquerading as serious law, is probably unconstitutional. Directing state selected electors in who or who not to choose, I’m not so sure. I’d sure like to her from folks out there who actually have a JD.

Mike Ford is a retired Infantry Officer who writes on Military, Foreign Affairs and occasionally dabbles in Political and Economic matters.

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