Michigan Assistant Attorney General Heather Meingast testified that officials in her state "stand ready" to ban former President Donald Trump from the ballot if a court orders it.
In a hearing on Thursday, a judge heard arguments that Trump should not be allowed on the 2024 presidential ballot because he participated in an insurrection to overthrow the 2020 election. But the secretary of state's office sought to remain neutral.
"Your Honor, the Secretary takes her role as the state's Chief Elections Officer very seriously, and it is her duty to ensure that Michigan elections are conducted in accordance with the laws of the state and in a manner that preserves the integrity of that process," Meingast told the judge on behalf of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D).
Meingast said Benson questioned whether she had the legislative authority to strike Trump from the ballot.
"Michigan law and the Michigan legislature has not accorded the Secretary the specific authority to make that constitutional determination," she explained. "Now, to be clear, the Secretary stands ready to comply with whatever order this court issues in relation to the former president's eligibility to appear on the ballot."
"But otherwise, the Secretary has no formal position, as you saw from our briefing on the many constitutional questions presented not only in Mr. Davis's case, but their immediate cases," Meingast added.
The judge said he would make a swift ruling about Trump's ballot eligibility in the coming days.
