Georgia judge says Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene should stay on ballot

May 6 (UPI) -- A Georgia judge ruled Friday that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene should be allowed to stay on the ballot for this month's primary over objections by a group of voters who took issue with her alleged involvement with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Administrative law Judge Charles Beaudrot said the group of voters -- represented by the nonprofit Free Speech for People -- didn't provide enough evidence to prove Greene was involved in the riots. The group filed a lawsuit in March saying the Republican was ineligible to run for re-election under Section Three of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bars anyone "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from serving in Congress.

The voters accused Greene of making statements in the weeks leading up to the riots calling the upcoming Jan. 6 certification of the election as "our 1776 moment." She also accused President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of "treason," which she said is "punishable by death."

"It's rare for any conspirator, let alone a member of Congress, to publicly admit that the goals of their actions are preventing a peaceful transfer of power and the death of the president-elect and speaker of the House, but that's exactly what Marjorie Taylor Greene did," said Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech For People.

During court testimony last month, Greene said she called for people to peacefully march, not be violent.

But Beaudrot ruled that the plaintiffs "failed to prove their case by a preponderance of the evidence." He said they didn't establish that Greene "engaged in insurrection or rebellion ... or [gave] aid or comfort to the enemies."

ABC News reported that Beaudrot's ruling is considered a recommendation and that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will make the final decision on whether Greene will stay on the ballot for the May 24 Republican primary.