A federal lawsuit filed in Alaska to keep former President Donald Trump’s name from being able to appear on the ballot this year as a presidential candidate was round-filed on Friday by federal judge Josh Kindred, who mainstream media reporters were quick to point out is a Trump judicial appointee.
Plaintiff John Castro, part of the Never Trump Movement, sued Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Trump, saying Trump is “ineligible to pursue or hold any public office in the United States pursuant to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution …”
Judge Kindred pointed out in his ruling that the same lawsuit has been thrown out in other courts across America because Castro lacks standing to bring such a lawsuit. To have standing, a plaintiff must show “injury in fact” to his own legal interests.
Castro’s legal interests are many and varied: The New York Times describes his him as being involved in filing a “dizzying array of legal disputes.” Castro was indicted this month on 33 felony charges of tax fraud.
Castro has filed dozens of these unsuccessful lawsuits to bump Trump from the 2024 election. The man has served as his own legal counsel, having no support from constitutional attorneys and no formal legal training. Castro has been a perennial candidate for various seats, sometimes as a Democrat, other times as a Republican.
His case to stop Trump from being a candidate was dismissed by a federal judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, went through the 11th Court of Appeals, and landed at the U.S. Supreme Court; the Supreme Court appeal file can be found at this link.
Castro alleges that Trump is ineligible to “pursue and hold public office given his alleged provision of aid or comfort to the convicted criminals and insurrectionist that violently attacked our United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. To delay this case risks a constitutionally ineligible individual holding public office in direct conflict with the United States Constitution. As such, it is unquestionably a matter of imperative public importance to such a grave extent as to justify deviation from normal appellate practice and to require immediate determination in this Court.”
The U.S. Supreme Court last year denied Castro’s request to move the case forward on the calendar.
Some lawsuits meant to keep Trump from advancing have been more successful in state courts, but no such lawsuit has been filed with the State of Alaska court system.
However, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Trump took part in an insurrection, and thus is disqualified due to the Constitution’s 14th Amendment. Maine’s Secretary of State disqualified Trump on her own. The Trump campaign is appealing these adverse rulings.
