Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign has leveled accusations of “corruption” against Nevada’s Democratic Secretary of State on Monday. The campaign alleges collusion between the elections official and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), asserting the concoction of a new, baseless requirement for ballot access in the state.
The focal point of contention revolves around RFK Jr.’s omission of a vice-presidential candidate on the ballot access petitions circulated in Nevada. Nevada law, in effect since 1993, mandates independent candidates to “designate a nominee for Vice President” while gathering signatures for presidential election ballot access.
Failure to adhere to this requirement may necessitate restarting the process of collecting over 10,000 signatures for Kennedy Jr.’s inclusion on state ballots in November.
Paul Rossi, the Kennedy campaign’s attorney for ballot access, condemned the situation as a pinnacle of corruption, asserting compliance with the law. Rossi accused the DNC and the Nevada Secretary of State’s office of fabricating a new stipulation without legal foundation, despite the absence of a field for a vice-presidential nominee on the petition.
RFK (Credits: FOX5 Vegas)
Rossi cited instances where the state confirmed in writing, on both November 14 and January 9, that the petition did not mandate a vice-presidential nominee. He included an email exchange with an employee from the Secretary of State’s office corroborating this.
While the Secretary of State’s Office acknowledges the misinformation provided by its employee, it maintains that candidates are obligated to follow state law, irrespective of erroneous guidance.
Kennedy Jr. plans to reveal his running mate at a gathering in Oakland, California, on March 26, 2024.
In response to the potential invalidation of ballot access signatures, Kennedy Jr.’s campaign threatens legal action against the Nevada Secretary of State. Rossi denounced the move as an assault on democratic rights, characterizing it as part of a broader pattern within the Democratic Party, alleging interference with primaries and cancellations of elections to favor certain candidates.
The campaign demands judicial intervention to halt any attempts to invalidate signatures and expresses intent to depose Aguilar to ascertain the origin of the purported scheme.
Kennedy Jr. is slated to announce his running mate on Tuesday.
