RFK Jr. ruled out of New York ballot for claiming false residence
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced a setback in his quest to appear on New York’s general election ballot. A judge ruled that Kennedy falsely claimed a New York residence on his nominating petitions, leading to their disqualification.
Judge Christina Ryba found Kennedy’s assertion of a New York address as his “place of residence” to be a “false statement.” It was evident to her that he had no intentions of moving back to New York and had listed the location solely for political gain. Ryba’s decision is likely to be appealed by the Aug. 15 deadline. If upheld, it would prevent Kennedy from being on the New York ballot and potentially trigger challenges in other states where he utilized a New York suburban address to collect signatures.
Ryba stated, “The overwhelming credible evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Kennedy’s connections with the [New York] address were only on paper and were maintained to uphold his voter registration and political status in the State of New York.”
During the court proceedings, Kennedy testified that he has always considered New York his home since childhood and had plans to return. He mentioned that he had temporarily relocated to California in 2014 to live with his wife and is presently renting a room at a woman’s house in New York.
The homeowner, Barbara Moss, verified that Kennedy paid her $500 per month for the room. She mentioned that Kennedy had spent just one night at the house, and the first rental payment was received on May 20 of this year.
In response to the ruling, the Kennedy campaign criticized it as “openly partisan” and pledged to continue the legal battle. They emphasized Kennedy’s ties to New York, mentioning his voter registration, tax payments, possession of a New York driver’s license, legal practice in New York, and various licenses in the state, including falconry.
“We intend to seek injunctive relief in the Southern District of New York. If state court judges are disregarding the Constitution, federal courts must intervene to safeguard voters’ rights,” stated campaign Senior Counsel Paul Rossi.
Kennedy accused Democrats of showing contempt for democracy and attempting to impede voters from having a choice. He asserted that they would appeal the ruling and emerge victorious.
The lawsuit against Kennedy was supported by Clear Choice Action, a Democrat-aligned super PAC striving to hinder third-party candidates in the presidential election. Pete Kavanaugh, the founder of Clear Choice Action, accused Kennedy of providing false information about his residency and misleading election officials and voters.
The super PAC has also taken legal action against Kennedy in Pennsylvania and filed an objection to his candidacy in Illinois. Other Democratic Party allies are spearheading similar efforts in Nevada and Delaware.
“The RFK Jr. running for president is a deeply troubled, reckless, and dangerous man who believes the rules don’t apply to him. He is willing to play a spoiler role for Donald Trump in this election and has even considered endorsing Trump in exchange for a position in a Trump administration,” remarked Matt Corridoni, a DNC spokesperson.
Following the ruling in New York, Corridoni stated that they would assess their options in other states based on this outcome.
