South Gwinnett News

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has filed suit challenging a state law that a group of voters is using to challenge her eligibility to run for reelection, according to a recent report by FOX 5 Atlanta.

Filed in March, the suit alleges Greene helped facilitate the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington that disrupted Congress in their attempts to certify Joe Biden’s presidential victory, the report states. In doing so, the challenge states this violates a provision of the 14th Amendment and makes Greene ineligible to run for reelection.

In her lawsuit, Greene "vigorously denies that she aided and engaged in insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of presidential power,” FOX 5 Atlanta reports. 

"I’ve never encouraged political violence and never will," Greene told Fox5Atlanta.com

Greene's suit seeks to have the suit dropped on the grounds it is unconstitutional. The challenge was filed by Free Speech for People, a national election and campaign finance reform group.

In their challenge, the voters cited a portion of the 14th Amendment that reads 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,” the report states. At the time of its ratification, this was reportedly intended to keep representatives who had fought for the Confederacy from returning to Congress. 

According to the report, a law in Georgia stipulates that any legally registered voter may challenge that candidate’s qualifications by filing a written complaint within two weeks after the deadline for qualifying. Doing so automatically triggers the secretary of state’s request for a hearing before an administrative law judge, though the lawsuit alleges this is a violation of the representative’s First Amendment right to run for political office.