(NEW YORK) — Lori Vallow pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder charges related to the deaths of her two children in 2019. Her husband Chad Daybell had previously pleaded not guilty on similar charges.
Vallow and Daybell appeared in court in Fremont County, Idaho. Last week, a judge ruled that Vallow was fit to stand trial after she was recently released from an Idaho mental health facility.
Nearly two years ago, authorities discovered the remains of Lori Vallow’s children on property belonging to Chad Daybell, Vallow’s husband and the children’s stepfather.
Since then, authorities said Vallow and Daybell’s story has publicly unraveled and both face charges in connection to multiple murders.
Daybell appeared in court Tuesday morning for a hearing on whether his trial should be moved from Fremont County to Ada County after the defense argued that the jury in Fremont County may be swayed by extensive media coverage in the area.
After hearing multiple arguments and witness testimony, the judge announced that a written ruling would be released at a later date.
Following Daybell’s court appearance, Vallow appeared in court for arraignment and pleaded not guilty to all charges. She’s charged with three counts of first-degree murder: her children, J.J. Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and her husband’s first wife, Tammy Daybell.
The couple is scheduled to face trial starting in January 2023. Daybell and Vallow could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted on multiple first-degree murder charges.
(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the U.S. assessment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine’s efforts to resist.
Here are highlights of what a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Tuesday on Day 55:
‘Limited’ Russian offensive operations so far in eastern Ukraine
The U.S. has seen “limited” Russian offensive operations southwest of Donetsk and south of Izium, but these are believed to be “preludes to larger offensive operations that the Russians plan to conduct,” a senior U.S. defense official said.
“These are actual ground offensives, and they are being supported, of course, by some long-range fires, mostly artillery, which is right out of the Russian doctrine,” the official said.
But while there is ongoing fighting in the region, a more devastating offensive is still in the works.
“You’ve seen comments by [Ukraine’s] President Zelenskyy yesterday, and even for [Russian Foreign Minister] Lavrov, about this new offensive beginning … We think that these … are preludes to larger offensive operations that the Russians plan to conduct. So, we’re not pushing back on the notion that offensive operations have begun, but again, we think that this is a prelude of larger offensive operations that are potentially still in the offing here,” the official said.
The Pentagon believes Russia’s military is working to learn from its mistakes fighting in the north, where it was plagued with logistical and supply problems, conducting what officials call “shaping operations” to set favorable conditions on the battlefield before beginning its new offensive in earnest.
“In other words, continue to reinforce, continue to make sure they have logistics and sustainment in place, continue to make sure that they have proper aviation and other enabling capability,” the official said.
Over the last 24 hours, two Russian battalion tactical groups (BTGs), or up to 2,000 more combat troops, have been sent into Ukraine, according to the official. This brings the total to an estimated 78 BTGs inside the country, all in the south and east.
About 75% of Putin’s total combat power originally arrayed against Ukraine remains, according to the official. This takes into account all military capabilities, including troop casualties, destroyed vehicles and aircraft, and expended missiles. This is the lowest assessment we’ve heard out of the Pentagon.
Fall of Mariupol and Donbas ‘not inevitable’
“People speak about this as if it’s inevitable, that Mariupol is going to fall, that it’s inevitable that Donbas will be taken by the Russians. We don’t see it that way. And we’re doing everything we can to make sure that it’s not inevitable,” the official said.
With fighting concentrated around Donbas, Ukraine has to move aid coming in from the U.S. and others all the way across the country.
“Right now we know from our discussions with the Ukrainians that they are getting this materiel, it’s getting into the hands of their fighters,” the official said.
But Russia aims to isolate Ukrainian forces in the east.
“Clearly what the Russians want to do is cut them off and to defeat them in the Donbas,” the official said, reiterating that defeat is not inevitable.
Ukraine has more operable planes than two weeks ago
At a separate briefing later Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Ukraine currently has more operable military planes right now than it did two weeks ago because Ukraine has received additional aircraft as well as parts to get damaged planes flying again.
Kirby was reticent to provide any details on where the parts and planes came from but stressed that they did not come from the U.S.
“They have received additional aircraft and aircraft parts to help them get more aircraft in the air,” Kirby said at the on-camera briefing at the Pentagon.
“And that’s not by accident, that’s because other nations who had experience with those kinds of aircraft have been able to help them get more aircraft up and running,” said Kirby.
“We certainly have helped with the trans-shipment of some additional spare parts that have helped with their aircraft needs, but we have not transported whole aircraft,” he said.
Russian missile strikes
The U.S. assesses Russia has fired at least 1,670 missiles against Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion. The official noted that bad weather lowers visibility, making it harder for the U.S. to observe launches and other battlefield actions, so the actual number could be higher.
Despite the recent airstrikes in Kyiv and Lviv, Russia’s firepower is focused on Mariupol and Donbas.
(STOCKTON, Calif.) — A suspect has been charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl at a high school in Stockton, California, in what officials said appears to be a random attack.
The student was killed when a trespasser, initially described as a man in his 40s, entered Stagg High School on Monday and stabbed her multiple times. Responders immediately began lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at a local hospital, Stockton police said.
“A trespasser entered the front of our school today, stabbed one of our students multiple times,” Stockton Unified School District Superintendent John Ramirez Jr. said at a press conference Monday. “Unfortunately, she did not make it. The assailant was taken, was detained, and taken into custody immediately.”
“The school was also put on lockdown to assure the safety of the rest of our students,” he added. “We began to work with local law enforcement immediately and they’ve taken over the investigation.”
Anthony Gray, 52, was arrested in connection with the stabbing and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on murder, police said late Monday.
“Detectives believe this appears to be a random act and they are trying to determine why this student was targeted,” the Stockton Police Department said on Facebook.
Gray is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
Officials had said Monday they did not have a motive for the attack but said the man was not a parent.
Ramirez praised the school’s resource officer for acting quickly to apprehend the suspect, saying it helped to prevent the stabbing from continuing.
“When the incident happened, there were staff immediately there,” he said. “It had been so quick that they weren’t able to stop it, but they were there immediately.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden gave his first public reaction to a federal judge striking down the government’s transportation mask mandate, telling reporters on Tuesday that Americans should make their own decisions on wearing masks on planes — further muddying White House and administration messaging on pandemic mitigation efforts.
“That’s up to them,” Biden said, after a reporter asked, “Should people continue to wear masks on planes?”
When asked then if his administration would appeal the judge’s ruling, Biden only said, “I haven’t spoken to the CDC yet,” referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Later, when asked again whether his administration would appeal, Biden reiterated that he hasn’t received a briefing from the CDC and said he does not yet know what he plans to do.
“Follow the science,” Biden told reporters.
Biden boarded Air Force One earlier Tuesday wearing his face mask, traveling to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to tout the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The White House said that masking would be required for those traveling with the president, adding it’s “in line with CDC guidance.” But on the way back to Washington, Biden opted not to wear one as he, once again, boarded Air Force One.
While Biden did not take the chance Tuesday to strongly defend the CDC mandate, after a Florida judge characterized it as CDC overreach, White House press secretary Jen Psaki delivered a different message to reporters not even an hour ahead of Biden, saying the White House continues to encourage people to mask up while traveling.
Despite the mandate no longer being enforced, but some localities still requiring face masks, Psaki said the White House disputes “the notion that people are confused” over the ruling and next steps.
“We’re continuing to encourage people to wear masks in public transit. They’ll make that decision because it’s obviously not being implemented at this moment in time, but we’ll continue to abide by CDC guidance,” she said.
But Psaki did signal the administration might appeal, saying, “Typically, yeah. It typically takes a couple of days to review and make an assessment.”
U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Mizelle struck down the mask mandate on public transportation Monday — effectively voiding the requirement on planes, trains and buses as well as inside airports across the country, writing in her decision that the mandate “exceeds the CDC’s statutory authority and violates the procedures required for agency rulemaking under the [Administrative Procedure Act].”
Psaki called it a “disappointing decision” at her briefing Monday as the White House had just learned of the ruling, and hours later an administration official said the order was no longer in effect as agencies evaluated what to do next.
A spokesperson from the Department of Justice told ABC News it was “reviewing the decision.”
ABC News Contributor Dr. John Brownstein, a professor at Harvard Medical School and chief innovation officer of Boston Children’s Hospital, told ABC News Live on Tuesday that the decision “sets a really tough precedent for public policy.”
“Everybody wants to remove the masks, but we are going to see an increased spread — and it’s not really up to a single judge to set public health policy for the entire country,” he said. “It’s going to put a lot of people at risk.”
Addressing how some local requirements will still be in effect, Brownstein said, “It’s going to be confusing for people to fully understand what they’re required to do and what is optional at this point.”
Last week, the Transportation Security Administration extended the mask mandate until May 3, citing a rise in COVID cases across the country with the new BA.2 variant. It’s unclear whether the administration would have continued it beyond that point.
White House COVID response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha weighed in with his first public comment Tuesday afternoon, calling the decision “deeply disappointing” and suggesting people continue to mask up on planes — as he says he will.
“CDC scientists had asked for 15 days to make a more data-driven durable decision,” Jha tweeted. “We should have given it to them”.
Alex Chan Tsz Yuk/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
Russian forces have since retreated from northern Ukraine, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. The United States and many European countries accused Russia of committing war crimes after graphic images emerged of dead civilians in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv. The Russian military has now launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, as it attempts to capture the strategic port city of Mariupol and secure a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Apr 19, 11:40 pm
Russia could be making probing attacks ahead of larger assault in Donbas: US official
As Ukrainian forces brace for a full-scale assault in the eastern part of the country, a U.S. official said the increased pace of operations from Russian forces in the past 24 hours could be probing attacks or the beginning of the main battle for the Donbas.
The defense official said the Russian offensive to seize southeastern Ukraine will likely involve a frontal assault from inside Russia and a double envelopment, or encircling, of Ukrainian forces in the Donbas. Russian forces will come south from Izyum and troops in the Berdyansk area will move north to encircle Ukrainian forces in the Joint Forces Operations area in the Donbas.
But the U.S. defense official said Ukraine has the advantage in the region since they have prepared a defense for years, including digging trenches, preparing anti-armor traps and ambush locations and more.
The U.S. and other countries have now provided close to 70,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine as well as 30,000 anti-aircraft missiles and 7,000 launchers to fire them, according to the defense official.
As for stopping the shipments of those weapons, the U.S. believes Russia will target the paths and roads in western Ukraine being used to ship Western military aid into Ukraine even though it has not done so yet. Still, it’s believed with the amount of weaponry being delivered to Ukrainian forces, it will be impossible to stop it all.
(LONDON) — Schoolchildren were among those killed and injured in another series of deadly blasts in Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, Tuesday morning.
At least six people were killed and over ten injured, Khalid Zadran, acting spokesman of the Taliban Kabul police wrote on Twitter, adding that security forces were on the scene and an investigation was launched into the attack. Unofficial reports indicate a higher number of casualties.
No one has immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan condemned the “heinous” attack in a tweet saying, “those responsible for the crime targeting schools and children must be brought to justice.”
United Nations envoy Deborah Lyons extended deepest sympathies to victims’ families and wished for a speedy recovery for the wounded, in the same tweet.
The blasts happened at the entrance of Abdul Rahim Shahid high school located in a Shia Hazara neighborhood of the city. Hazaras are an ethnic/religious group that has been the target of attacks in the past. Most of the previous attacks in the same neighborhood were claimed by ISIS affiliates. Tuesday’s blast was the first attack in this neighborhood after the Taliban takeover in August.
Shi’a Hazaras are historically the most discriminated ethnic minority group in Afghanistan and have long faced violence and discrimination, according to Minority Rights International. according to Minority Rights International.
Save the Children’s country director in Afghanistan, Chris Nyamandi, issued a statement condemning the attack.
“Save the Children calls for safe access to education at all times for children in Afghanistan and for perpetrators of grave violations against children to be held to account,” the statement reads.
Today’s blasts follow Pakistani military airstrikes in the eastern Afghanistan provinces of Khost and Kunar which killed 47 civilians, mainly women and children, and left many wounded.
ABC News’ Aleem Agha and Guy Davis contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — After a federal judge struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel mask mandate Monday, several airlines and companies moved to act.
All major airlines, including American, United, Southwest and Delta, said face coverings will now be optional for travelers.
Ride-share companies, such as Uber and Lyft, also said they will not require riders to wear masks as did Amtrak, the passenger railroad service.
Several airports across the company have also dropped their mandates and the Transportation Security Administration said it will not enforce a mask mandate on planes and other public transportation.
Here are some of the companies that have dropped mask mandates so far:
United Airlines
United was among the first airlines to announce it would be dropping its mask mandate following the ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Mizelle.
In a Twitter post, the company shared two photos of the model of the 72-foot-long Brachiosaurus skeleton at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, where United is headquartered — one with and one without a mask.
“More comfortable keeping yours on? Go right ahead … the choice is yours (you look dino-mite either way)!” the statement read.
American Airlines
Similarly on Monday night, American dropped its mask mandate for customers and team members.
The airline said customers may still choose to wear masks and thanked its staff for enforcing the mask mandate since it went into effect in January 2021.
“American Airlines has prioritized the health and safety of its team members and customers throughout the pandemic and has supported the federal government’s measures to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the statement read. “We are deeply grateful to our team members for their enforcement of the mandate, and will share more information about this transition in the coming days.”
Southwest Airlines
Southwest announced Monday it would be mask-optional going forward and welcomed those who decide to keep wearing masks.
“We encourage individuals to make the best decision to support their personal wellbeing and to check local airport mask policies when traveling,” a statement read.
The airline also said its planes have “additional layers of protection” to keep passengers and employees safe, including HEPA filters that remove 99.7% of airborne particles.
Delta Air Lines
Delta announced in a statement Monday night that masks would be optional for passengers and employees “effectively immediately.”
The airline said customers should expect “inconsistent enforcement” for the next day until the news reaches all employees.
“Given the unexpected nature of this announcement, please be aware that customers, airline employees and federal agency employees — such as TSA — may be receiving this information at different times,” the airline said.
Alaska Airlines
In a statement Monday, Alaska Airlines said it would be implementing a mask-optional policy.
“Face masks have been like boarding passes for nearly two years — you couldn’t fly without one,” a blog post on the company website read. “But, as of today, masks are optional in airports and onboard aircraft, effective immediately.”
Alaska also encouraged customers to show kindness to those who decide they still want to wear face coverings onboard planes.
“Safety is always our highest priority, so while we love to see your smiling faces in the airport and on board, we respect your decision to keep using this added layer of protection,” the blog post continued. “Above all, we hope you’ll treat each other with kindness and respect throughout the travel journey and beyond.”
JetBlue Airways
On Monday night, JetBlue Airways announced it was updating its policy to make mask-wearing optional.
“While no longer required, customers and crewmembers are welcome to continue wearing masks in our terminals and on board our aircraft,” a statement read.
The airline recommended that passengers and staff traveling internationally carry masks with them in case they are required at their destination.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian, the largest operator of flights to and from Hawaii, announced Monday it is dropping its mask mandate for passengers and staff.
“Effective immediately, face masks are optional for our guests and employees onboard Hawaiian Airlines flights,” a statement read. “We ask for our guests’ patience and understanding as we update all our communications and announcements to reflect this change.”
Spirit Airlines
Spirit was among the last airlines to reveal it would be dropping its mask mandate, announcing the news on Twitter shortly after midnight Tuesday.
“Face coverings are now optional for Spirit Team Members and Guests onboarded our flights following the federal court ruling and TSA guidance,” the statement read. “We understand some Guests may want to continue to wear face coverings on flights, and that’s perfectly fine under our optional policy.”
Frontier Airlines
Frontier also announced similar news early Tuesday morning, attributing a statement to Crockett the Racoon, an animal that appears on the tail of one of the company’s aircraft.
“To mask or not to mask, the choice is yours,” the statement on Twitter read. “Masks are now optional on domestic flights, however, certain airports or countries may still require masks, so check the policy at your destination prior to departure and we’ll see you in the sky.”
Allegiant Air
Ultra low-cost carrier Allegiant shared the news Tuesday afternoon on Twitter, posting a photo of one of its aircraft at Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York.
To mask or not to mask, that is your choice,” the tweet read. “Consistent with TSA guidance, all Allegiant customers and team members may wear a mask if they choose to, but are no longer required while traveling with us.”
Sun Country Airlines
Sun Country shared a statement Monday night that it would no longer require masking on planes, and thanked passengers for wearing masks in the past.
The airline also encouraged guests to be respectful of those who continue to wear face coverings.
“We look forward to seeing your smiles on board & encourage kindness & respect for those who continue to mask,” the statement read.
Uber
Uber was the first ride-share service to announce that riders and drivers would not be required to wear masks.
However, the company echoed CDC guidance to wear masks if people are at high risk of severe disease or if they live in an area with high transmission, and to be respectful of people who choose to wear masks.
“Remember: many people still feel safer wearing a mask because of personal or family health situations, so please be respectful of their preferences,” the statement said. “And if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can always cancel the trip.”
Uber also said it would no longer require people to sit in the back seat, but asked riders to only do so due to the size of their group.
Lyft
Riders and drivers are also no longer required to wear masks while using Lyft but warned masks may still be required by law in some areas.
Additionally, rides will not be allowed to be canceled on account of someone not wearing a mask.
“While riders and drivers can always cancel any ride they don’t wish to take, health safety reasons — like not wearing a mask — will no longer appear as cancellation options in the app,” a statement read.
The company urged people not to use the service if they have COVID-19 or are experiencing any similar symptoms.”
Amtrak
Amtrak announced on Twitter that it would no longer require passengers and employees and passengers to wear masks while aboard trains or in stations.
However, the company said it would “encourage” anyone who needs or feels that they need to wear a mask.
“Masks are welcome and remain an important preventive measure against COVID-19,” the Twitter statement read. “Anyone needing or choosing to wear one is encouraged to do so.”
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
The Metropolitan Airport Commission originally announced Monday night masks would continue to be required after the federal ruling.
But following the TSA saying it would no longer enforce mask-wearing, the policy was changed for Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.
Travelers will not be required to mask in terminal or other airport facilities or at any of the six general aviation airports.
Portland International Airport
The Oregon airport released a brief statement Monday that masks would no longer be required or enforced .
“Local TSA just advised us they will no longer be enforcing the directive that requires masking in the airport,” the statement read. “Tat means that face coverings are no longer required at PDX.
Tampa International Airport
A statement on the airport’s Twitter account announced mask mandates would be dropped for travelers and staff.
“Per TSA’s removal of its federal mask mandate, masks are now optional at Tampa International Airport, effective immediately,” the tweet read. “Passengers, employees and guests are no longer required [to] wear masks or face coverings in any of the facilities or terminals at TPA.”
(PONTIAC, Mich.) — The parents of the accused Michigan school shooter were denied a request to reduce their bond on Tuesday.
Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews said the events leading to the arrest of Jennifer and James Crumbley make the bond currently set appropriate, as their actions were “premeditated to conceal their whereabouts.”
The two are charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly failing to recognize warning signs about their son in the months before their son allegedly shot and killed four of his classmates at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021.
Prosecutors have accused the parents of giving their son a gun that was later used in the school shooting and allege the parents hid in an abandoned warehouse in Detroit and had concealed their car by hiding their license plates instead of turning themselves in the day they were charged.
Their son, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley, is facing 24 counts, including four counts of murder and a terrorism charge
A judge ruled that Ethan Crumbley must remain in adult jail. His lawyers said in January they will claim an insanity defense. He is being held in isolation, under behavior watch, and must be checked on every 15 minutes.
The Crumbleys’ bond is set at $500,000 each, which they were attempting to get reduced to $100,000 each.
A lower court denied a similar motion to reduce their bond in January.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — A man who has spent 32 years in prison for being wrongly convicted of murder was exonerated by San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on Monday.
Joaquin Ciria was arrested in 1990 and convicted of shooting and killing his friend, Felix Bastarrica, in San Francisco. His conviction was based on false witness testimony and police misconduct, according to Boudin.
“Our office is proud of and grateful for the work of the Innocence Commission in rectifying the wrongful conviction of Mr. Ciria,” Boudin said in a press release.
He added, “Although we cannot give him back the decades of his life lost we are thankful that the court has corrected this miscarriage of justice.”
Boudin dismissed the case against Ciria after a judge overturned his conviction.
According to Boudin, no physical evidence linked Ciria to the crime, but San Francisco police believed Ciria to be the shooter based on street rumors and statements from the alleged getaway driver, George Varela.
Varela testified in exchange for complete immunity that he drove Ciria to and from the scene. Boudin states that Varela, who was then a teenager, was pressured by police to name Ciria as the perpetrator.
The commission found that Varela has admitted to Ciria’s family members that he had falsely testified.
The jury heard from three eyewitnesses in Ciria’s trial, two of whom Boudin’s office says were “cross-racial identifications by strangers whose views were compromised by distance and poor lighting during the late-night shooting.”
An alternate suspect was not mentioned to the jury, and evidence of Ciria’s alibi was not given on trial despite two available alibi witnesses.
The Innocence Commission also found that another eyewitness, the victim’s best friend, identified another person as the shooter, and that other witnesses confirmed details to corroborate this new eyewitness’ story, including the description of the shooter provided by the stranger eyewitnesses, which more closely matches another suspect.
Ciria’s case was the first one reviewed by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office’s Innocence Commission since its formation in 2020. The commission was created to review potential wrongful convictions and present findings to Boudin’s office.
“When a conviction is a perversion of justice because it deprives an innocent person of his freedom while robbing the victim and his family of justice, the District Attorney has a duty to correct that intolerable violation,” said Lara Bazelon, the chair of the Innocence Commission.
Ciria has long maintained his innocence. His release date is not yet known, but could be within the next few days, the DA’s office said.
“Joaquin’s case highlights so many issues with our system, including how long it takes to undo a wrongful conviction, the problems with using incentivized testimony, the unreliability of cross-racial identifications, and the ways people of color aren’t afforded the presumption of innocence,” said Paige Kaneb, supervising attorney at the Northern California Innocence Project, who represented Ciria.
There have been more than 270 known wrongful convictions in California alone since the National Registry of Exonerations began tracking wrongful convictions in 1989. Ciria will be added to that registry.
“Studies on the causes of wrongful convictions demonstrate that key contributing factors include mistaken eyewitness identification, false testimony, and official misconduct,” Boudin’s office said in a press release. “All three of those factors were present in Mr. Ciria’s case and led to his wrongful conviction in this case.”
(ATLANTA) — A federal judge has allowed a legal challenge by a group of Georgia voters to move forward as they seek to disqualify GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for reelection, citing her alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
As a result of Judge Amy Totenberg’s ruling, the Georgia voters will have their challenge heard before a state administrative law judge in Atlanta on Friday, where Greene will be called to testify, making her the first member of Congress to be questioned under oath about the events surrounding Jan. 6.
An avid supporter of former President Donald Trump, Greene has denied any involvement in the attack.
The judge, an Obama appointee, in denying Greene’s request to stop the lawsuit, said the case “involves a whirlpool of colliding constitutional interests of public import.”
The voters argue a provision of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment know as the “Disqualification Clause” prevents Greene from holding federal office.
Enacted after the Civil War, the Disqualification Clause bars any person from holding federal office who has previously taken an oath to protect the Constitution — including a member of Congress — who has “engaged in insurrection” against the United States or “given aid or comfort” to its “enemies.”
Mike Rasbury, one of the voters challenging Greene’s eligibility to run for reelection, said in a statement that “Rep. Greene took an oath of office to protect democracy from all enemies foreign and domestic……However, she has flippantly ignored this oath and, based on her role in the January 6 insurrection, is disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution from holding any future public office.”
Ron Fein, a lawyer representing the voters and legal director of Free Speech For People, told ABC News in an email that the Georgia “voters who filed this lawsuit have a right to have their challenge heard.”
“At the hearing on Friday, we look forward to questioning Greene under oath about her involvement in the events of Jan. 6, and to demonstrating how her facilitation of the insurrection disqualifies her from public office under the United States Constitution.”
James Bopp, Greene’s attorney, told ABC News that the challenge is “absurd” and that it shouldn’t be up to judges to decide who represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District.
Bopp also represents GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who is facing a similar challenge against his reelection from a group of voters in North Carolina.
Cawthorn’s lawsuit to dismiss the challenge to his reelection is set to have oral arguments May 3 before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, after a federal district judge in North Carolina blocked the voters’ case, citing Cawthorn’s argument the that Amnesty Act of 1872 overrode the Disqualification Clause.
Speaking on Fox News Monday night, Greene told host Tucker Carlson that Democrats are trying to keep her name off the ballot, maintaining she had nothing to do with the attack on the Capitol.
“I have to go to court on Friday and actually be questioned about something I’ve never been charged with and something I was completely against,” said Greene.
The challenges against Greene and Cawthorn are part of a larger legal effort to prevent anyone allegedly involved in the events surrounding Jan. 6 or who supported it from running for reelection.
Similar challenges are being brought against GOP Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona and theoretically could be brought against Trump if he decides to run for office again in 2024.
As of now, nine challenges have been filed against candidates across the country and more are expected to be filed in the coming months.
