Noah Bookbinder and Donald K. Sherman write:

Donald Trump currently faces four criminal prosecutions, a momentous and historic fact that can hardly be overstated. But a civil suit brought this week by six courageous residents of Colorado is another important step in the quest to preserve the viability of our democracy.

The suit, filed on Sept. 6 in Colorado District Court by Republican and unaffiliated voters, seeks to compel Colorado’s secretary of state to bar Trump from the state’s ballot, under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies from office anyone who took an oath to the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection. Our organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, along with top election lawyers and litigators from Colorado, is representing those plaintiffs. While much of the focus has been on the criminal fallout from Jan. 6, this case centers on a more foundational question that is currently being debated in political and legal spheres of influence: Can our Constitution protect against those who tried to overthrow our government?

The plaintiffs include Norma Anderson, who served as majority leader of both the Colorado Senate and the Colorado House of Representatives, and Claudine Schneider, a former U.S. representative from Rhode Island who has lived in Colorado for decades. Both are Republicans. Prominent conservative columnist Krista Kafer is also a plaintiff, along with a Colorado teacher, a leader of a nonprofit and a leader in promoting outdoor recreation. These are Americans who feel a deep sense of duty to ensure the preservation of a working democracy in which the people still get to choose their leaders, and they are willing to step forward despite the way that Trump and his supporters have attacked anyone attempting to hold them accountable. [Continue reading…]