A judge ruled on Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could not be on the New York State ballot because he falsely claimed to live in New York.
If the decision stands, Kennedy may be removed from the New York ballot and could face similar challenges in other states.
Scripps News interviewed Kennedy on Tuesday regarding the ruling and his declared home address in federal election statements.
“The address listed in the federal statement was a mailing address in California,” Kennedy explained. “Legally, your domicile must be where you vote. I had to swear in New Hampshire, in the presence of a notary public, that I voted in New York and therefore, New York is my domicile. I had to list New York as my domicile on all state ballots. I had to choose one domicile and provide all relevant facts.”
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Kennedy criticized the ruling as a partisan decision and confirmed that he intends to appeal.
“States cannot impose additional requirements beyond the three set by the 12th Amendment for presidential candidates,” he stated. “This is a national election, and the courts have ruled against allowing states to create obstacles that would prevent a national candidate from running. States do not have the authority to override the 12th Amendment.”
“The DNC is grasping at straws to exclude me from the ballot, but they will not succeed on appeal because my domicile is New York,” Kennedy asserted.
The DNC released a statement disputing Kennedy’s claims and accusing him of running a “spoiler candidacy” as a “fraudulent” candidate.
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