USA: Donald Trump may compete in the Republican primary in Illinois

Former US President Donald Trump has been allowed to run in the primaries for the presidential nomination Republic Competing in Illinois. The U.S. State Board of Elections decided on Tuesday that Trump can participate in the polls. Next week, the nation's Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the 77-year-old's role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US capital disqualifies him for the highest state office.

The panel's decision came unanimously after the hearing officer, a Republican and retired judge, found that a “preponderance of the evidence” showed Trump could not run for the state's highest office. Accordingly, he violated the constitutional prohibition according to which participants in an uprising were not allowed to hold state positions. However, the hearing officer suggested that the courts should decide.

The eight-member caucus consists of four Republicans and four Democrats. Members followed the committee's lawyer's recommendation to put Trump to the vote because they lacked the authority to decide whether the former president had violated the Constitution.

Trump praised the decision in a post on his social media network, Truth Social. “The vote was 8-0 to keep your favorite president (ME!) on the ballot,” he wrote.

An attorney for voters who challenged Trump's name on the ballot said they will appeal to the Cook County Circuit Court. The election committee was trying to avoid making a tough decision, Matthew Pearce told reporters after the hearing. “I understand the desire to do that, but the law does not allow shirking.”