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Congressman Jim Banks to face Indiana Elections Board on Friday

(Photo supplied/WOWO News)

Friday Congressman Jim Banks, who represents northeast Indiana in Washington, will face the Indiana Elections Board, on a challenge that he’s not qualified to run for Congress.

The accusation is that Banks and other Republicans, participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. An Indiana attorney representing one of the representatives who is being challenged says it’s a ludicrous scheme.

“The U.S. Constitution vests exclusively in the U.S. House of Representatives to judge the qualifications of its members,” said attorney Jim Bopp, Jr., of the Bopp Law Firm of Terre Haute, representing not Banks, but Rep. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina, who was facing a similar challenge.

Bopp, in an interview on Tony Katz Today on WIBC, said the challenge that Banks faces is based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which could disqualify a person from serving if they participate in an insurrection or civil war.

“This is a scheme by the Democrats where they’re believing their own rhetoric, that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as abhorrent as I believe that was, amounted to a civil war,” he said. “It does not amount to a civil war, nor did these members of Congress engage in it.”

Bopp pointed out that both Banks and Cawthorn were on the floor of the House when the attack happened.

Were the argument to be made that their speech amounted to participation, Bopp said he believes that also is preposterous.

“You have to engage in it. That is not speech,” he said.

Bopp also said that states do not have the right to disqualify a candidate based on whether the candidate may or may not have violated the 14th Amendment.

“That can be challenged when he is re-elected, on the floor of the House of Representatives, when they seat the new Congress,” said Bopp.

He said about 25 members of Congress are facing those challenges, filed by Democratic opponents, seeking to disqualify them and have Democrats win in uncontested races.

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4 comments

alicewilson February 18, 2022 at 12:37 am

Thank you for the good content.

Reply
Charles U Farley February 18, 2022 at 9:00 am

This was always the goal of the leftists, to use the Jan 6th PROTEST (it was clearly not a riot or insurrection) to attack their political opponents, stifle dissent among the population, and cover for their blatant election fraud.

This is functionally no different then Trudeau using the war powers act to attack the peacefully protesting truckers.

Reply
Slacker06 February 18, 2022 at 10:16 am

January 6th was a false flag operation by democrats to try to gain even more power. Citizen/Voters should not buy into their scheme to take your power from you. The powers that be are violating the civil rights of all those people being held in DC jails without bail or bond. No civil rights of any member of congress were violated on January 6th. As the truth gradually comes out, it is increasingly obvious the election was stolen form The People in the various states.

Reply
Tom Bland February 18, 2022 at 3:26 pm

January 6 was an insurrection. Trump lost the election. Banks is an embarrassment to our state. Now let’s get back to protecting the Constitution and obeying the laws.

Reply

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