RFK Jr. Late for Pennsylvania Ballot Hearing

Democrats challenge Kennedy's ballot bid over false address claim
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Aug 20, 2024 2:49 PM CDT
RFK Jr. Late for Pennsylvania Ballot Hearing
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leaves the Pennsylvania Judicial Center, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pa.   (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s late arrival to a Pennsylvania court on Tuesday meant he was unable to testify. Democratic activists aim to disqualify him from the state's presidential ballot, accusing him of listing a false home address and failing to meet signature requirements. Commonwealth Court Judge Lori Dumas chose to proceed without Kennedy's testimony; he got there one hour and 40 minutes late due to a canceled flight from Massachusetts to Harrisburg.

Kennedy asserts that the Democratic Party is attempting to disenfranchise his prospective voters by using legal tactics to remove him from the ballot. He criticized the current political climate, lamenting to reporters, "It's a sad devolution of this party that the only way that they can win elections is to keep its opponents off the debating stage, off the ballots and use lawfare to try to win elections rather than campaigning." His attorney, Paul Rossi, argued that disputes over residency shouldn't exclude candidates from the ballot.

The challengers' lawyer, Tim Ford, contends that Kennedy's actions demonstrate a disregard for Pennsylvania's electoral process. Kennedy also faces similar challenges in other states, including Georgia and New York, where he is accused of using a sham address. Despite these hurdles, Kennedy's campaign claims to have enough signatures for ballot access in all 50 states and is officially listed on ballots in 22 states, including key battlegrounds Michigan and North Carolina. The judge has yet to announce when a ruling will be made in Pennsylvania. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

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