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(AP/ with additional reporting from TJV) — A judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name should not appear on New York’s ballot, saying that he falsely claimed a New York residence on nominating petitions despite living in California.
The scion of the famed Democratic political dynasty vowed to appeal, dismissing the ruling as partisan. If the judge’s decision is upheld, it would not only keep Kennedy off the ballot in New York but could also lead to challenges in other states where he used an address in New York City’s suburbs to gather signatures.
“The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy,” Kennedy said in a statement, noting the ruling judge is a Democrat. “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.”
The ruling came after a North Carolina judge decided earlier Monday that Kennedy can remain on that state’s ballot following a separate challenge on different grounds.
In New York, Judge Christina Ryba concluded in her 34-page decision that the rented bedroom Kennedy claimed as his residence in New York wasn’t a “bona fide and legitimate residence, but merely a ‘sham’ address that he assumed for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration” and furthering his political candidacy.
“Given the size and appearance of the spare bedroom as shown in the photographs admitted into evidence, the Court finds Kennedy’s testimony that he may return to that bedroom to reside with his wife, family members, multiple pets, and all of his personal belongings to be highly improbable, if not preposterous,” the judge wrote.
Ryba said evidence submitted in trial showed Kennedy had a “long-standing pattern” of borrowing addresses from friends and relatives so he could maintain his voter registration in New York state while actually residing in California, where he has a home with his wife, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines.
“Using a friend’s address for political and voting purposes, while barely stepping foot on the premises, does not equate to residency under the Election Law,” the judge wrote. “To hold otherwise would establish a dangerous precedent and open the door to the fraud and political mischief that the Election Law residency rules were designed to prevent.”
Clear Choice Action, the Democrat-aligned political action committee that backed the legal challenge on behalf of several voters in the state, said the ruling shows Kennedy intentionally misled election officials and betrayed voters’ trust.
The public information on this PAC is listed here: https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00868448/1754438/
The site reads:
No third party or independent candidate can win the 2024 Presidential election, yet they’ve played a decisive role as spoilers in recent presidential elections — often helping the candidate who wins fewer votes secure victory in the electoral college. Despite having an outsized impact on the results, third-party candidates historically receive little scrutiny. Clear Choice fills this vacuum to ensure accountability and ballot integrity for all presidential candidates in 2024. We exist to show Americans the clear choice between President Biden’s strong vision for the future, and the danger of unelectable spoiler candidates tipping the election to Donald Trump
As you can see, Judge Christina Ryba who is a Democrat and WFP member was influenced by this power-mad PAC designed to destroy any opposition.
“The Kennedy team will undoubtedly file desperate lawsuit after desperate lawsuit in the coming days and weeks; they will fail, and it will not change the simple truth: he lied, and he’s being held accountable,” the organization said.
Kennedy, who led a New York-based environmental group for decades and whose namesake father was a New York senator, argued during the trial that he has lifelong ties to New York and intends to move back.
Kennedy said he currently rents a room in a friend’s home in Katonah, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of midtown Manhattan, though has only slept in that room once due to his constant campaign travel.
The 70-year-old candidate testified that his move to California a decade ago was so he could be with his wife, and that he always planned to return to New York.
