The 2024 election has already had so many crazy twists and turns. But now things are only getting crazier.
As a court has denied a major presidential candidate ballot access in this crucial state.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not be appearing on New York’s presidential ballot, following a ruling late Monday by a lower court in Albany.
Justice Christina L. Ryba delivered the decision, which could potentially lead to similar challenges in other states. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not be appearing on New York’s presidential ballot, following a ruling late Monday by a lower court in Albany. Justice Christina L. Ryba delivered the decision, which could potentially lead to similar challenges in other states.
In her ruling, Justice Ryba stated that Kennedy, 70, falsely claimed a residence in New York. “Kennedy’s designation of the 84 Croton Lake Road address as his ‘place of residence’ was a false statement requiring invalidation of the petition,” she wrote.
The lawsuit, backed by the Democratic Party, argued that Kennedy is actually a resident of California, despite listing a Westchester County home where he reportedly only stayed once as his address in official election filings.
“The overwhelming credible evidence introduced at trial established that Kennedy’s connections with the 84 Croton Lake Road address existed only on paper and were maintained for the sole purpose of maintaining his voter registration and political standing in the State of New York,” Ryba noted.
This ruling, likely to be appealed, could have far-reaching consequences for Kennedy’s campaign, as he listed the same address in all of his election filings nationwide.
It also casts further doubt on his already slim chances of winning the Electoral College.
If Kennedy is ultimately found to be a California resident — where he lives with his wife, Cheryl Hines — his ticket would be ineligible for California’s electoral votes.
The 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits candidates from receiving electoral votes from a state where both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates reside. Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shannahan, is also a California resident.
During the trial, Democratic lawyers presented various pieces of evidence to disprove Kennedy’s New York residency, including his driver’s license records, falconry licenses, and even a TikTok video of him feeding ravens.
A spokesperson for the Democrat-aligned group MoveOn criticized Kennedy, stating, “The courts are recognizing what voters are catching onto: RFK Jr. is a fraud. He knows he’ll never have a chance to win, but he and his MAGA donors are attempting to mislead voters to sway the election to Trump.”
In response, Kennedy vowed to fight what he described as an “assault on New York voters,” accusing the Democrats of undermining democracy.
“The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy. They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice. We will appeal and we will win,” his team asserted in a statement. “The DNC has become a party that uses lawfare in place of the democratic election process.”
Kennedy’s campaign has been riddled with odd controversies, often involving animals. In May, it was revealed that Kennedy once claimed a worm had entered his brain, eaten part of it, and then died.
In July, a Vanity Fair article resurfaced an old photograph showing him about to eat what appeared to be a charred animal carcass, which the magazine suggested was a cooked dog in Korea in 2010.
Kennedy, however, insisted the animal was a goat in Patagonia and stated he would never eat a dog, monkey, or human.
Adding to the list of peculiar incidents, RFK Jr. recently admitted to dumping a dead bear cub in Central Park about a decade ago as part of a prank with friends. These bizarre episodes have only deepened the perception of Kennedy’s campaign as a political sideshow.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
