Controversial Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene Cleared to Run for Reelection

A Georgia judge has given Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) the go-ahead to run for reelection.

A lawsuit hoping to remove the controversial congresswoman from the ballot began last month. The suit was filed by Free Speech for People, a left-wing group, on behalf of a small number of Greene's constituents.

It invoked a part of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits individuals who've participated in an insurrection from running for reelection.

As CNN reports:

State Judge Charles Beaudrot said in a 19-page recommendation that even if it is assumed that the U.S. Capitol riot was an insurrection, “challengers have produced insufficient evidence to show that Rep. Greene ‘engaged' in that insurrection after she took the oath of office on January 3, 2021.”

…

The judge concluded that there was “no persuasive evidence” that Greene had taken direct actions to help the insurrectionists — such as “physical efforts, contribution of personal services or capital, issuance of directives or marching orders, transmissions of intelligence, or even statements of encouragement.” Her militant rhetoric about the election wasn't enough to link her to the attack.

“Her public statements and heated rhetoric may well have contributed to the environment that ultimately led to the Invasion,” Beaudrot concluded. “But expressing constitutionally-protected political views, no matter how aberrant they may be, prior to being sworn in as a Representative is not engaging in insurrection under the 14th Amendment” and therefore isn't disqualifying.

…

In an interview after the ruling was handed down, Greene's lawyer, James Bopp Jr., told CNN that “this is a great day for the First Amendment and a great day for our democracy.”

Judge Beaudrot's ruling will now go to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), who could overrule Beaudrot's recommendation. Though almost no one expects him to do so.

Besides the legal drama, Greene is in a hotly contested primary election scheduled for May 24.