An organization hilariously called “Free Speech for People” has filed a lawsuit on behalf of just 11 people in North Carolina to stop Madison Cawthorn from running for re-election.
The organization is planning to find voters to use to file lawsuits against multiple lawmakers who “supported” the protest on January 6.
The lawsuit cites an amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified shortly after the Civil War, which says no one can serve in Congress “who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress . . . to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.”
According to a report from the Associated Press, “the written challenge says the events on Jan. 6, 2021 ‘amounted to an insurrection’ and that Cawthorn’s speech at the rally supporting President Donald Trump, his other comments and information in published reports provide a ‘reasonable suspicion or belief’ that he helped facilitate the insurrection and is thus disqualified.”
“The importance of defending the bedrock constitutional principle that oath breakers who engage in insurrection cannot be trusted in future office is essential to maintain,” Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for People, told The Associated Press.
Responding to the complaint, Cawthorn’s spokesperson Luke Ball pointed out to the AP that “over 245,000 patriots from western North Carolina elected Congressman Cawthorn to serve them in Washington.”
He added, “a dozen activists who are comically misinterpreting and twisting the 14th amendment for political gain will not distract him from that service.”
Cawthorn voted against certifying Biden and is expected to easily win his re-election bid.
