Donald Trump's legal team is asking a superior court judge to delay its appeal of the secretary of state's decision disqualifying him from Maine's presidential primary ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a similar decision in Colorado.
The request is included in a new brief filed to Superior Court Judge Michaela Murphy, who is overseeing the appeal of a disqualification ruling by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. The brief argues that the appeal should be delayed because it largely rests on the same legal arguments used to disqualify Trump by the Colorado law court.
Trump's attorneys argue that a ruling by the high court will inevitably affect the Maine case, which Murphy was expected to rule on by Jan. 17, according to the procedural order she released Friday.
Bellows suspended her decision pending superior court review, so a delay would mean Trump's name would still appear on the Maine primary ballot when those are sent to military and overseas voters later this month.
The decisions in Colorado and Maine both assert that Trump violated the U.S. Constitution insurrection clause by inciting the riots at the U.S. Capitol three years ago.
The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the Colorado case for Feb. 8.
