Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York, accusing it of violating the First Amendment rights of Missourians by interfering with their ability to hear from a presidential candidate in the 2024 election.
This legal battle is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga surrounding the prosecution of former President Donald Trump, which Bailey argues is a blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people.
Attorney General Bailey asserts that New York’s “illicit prosecution, gag order, and sentencing of President Trump” has undermined Trump’s ability to campaign effectively, thereby sabotaging Missourians’ access to a fully informed presidential candidate.
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By filing this lawsuit, Bailey seeks to ensure that every citizen in Missouri can exercise their right to hear from and vote for their preferred candidate, free from any interference or restrictions imposed by the state of New York.
“Right now, Missouri has a huge problem with New York. Instead of letting presidential candidates campaign on their own merits, radical progressives in New York are trying to rig the 2024 election by waging a direct attack on our democratic process,” said Attorney General Bailey. “I will not sit idly by while Soros-backed prosecutors hold Missouri voters hostage in this presidential election. I am filing suit to ensure every Missourian can exercise their right to hear from and vote for their preferred presidential candidate.”
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Allegations Against New York’s Prosecution of Trump
The lawsuit outlines three specific violations by the state of New York:
- Interference with the Presidential Election in other States: The lawsuit alleges that New York’s actions have directly interfered with the presidential election process in Missouri and other states, by constraining a candidate’s ability to campaign and engage with voters.
- Violation of Purcell: The lawsuit argues that New York’s prosecution of Trump violates the Purcell principle, a federal case that prohibits courts from sowing voter confusion or changing election rules in the months leading up to an election.
- Violation of the First Amendment Rights of Voters in other States: The lawsuit contends that New York’s restrictions on Trump’s ability to campaign unlawfully interfere with the First Amendment rights of Missouri voters to hear from and support the presidential candidate of their choice.
The lawsuit alledges that the prosecution of Trump is a politically motivated effort to boost President Joe Biden’s campaign and keep Trump out of the White House.
It highlights how Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges against Trump, previously worked for the New York Attorney General’s Office and campaigned for his current position by promising to use that experience to prosecute the former president.
Furthermore, the lawsuit points to the questionable actions of Judge Merchan, who presided over the case. It alleges that Merchan violated state judicial ethics rules by donating to the Biden campaign and refusing to recuse himself from the case despite these conflicts of interest.
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Attorney General Bailey is calling on the United States Supreme Court to invoke its original jurisdiction under Article III, Section II of the Constitution to settle the legal battle between Missouri and New York. His lawsuit petitions the Court to declare that New York’s restrictions on Trump’s ability to campaign unlawfully interfere with the presidential election, to remove any gag orders against the former president, and to halt the impending sentencing until after the 2024 election.
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