Trump Tries to Silence Member of His 'Inner Circle' in Colorado Ballot Case

Former President Donald Trump is seeking to block a member of his "inner circle" from testifying in the civil case that aims to remove the former president from the 2024 presidential ballot in Colorado, according to a court filing.

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) has filed a suit on behalf of six Colorado voters, including former Republican lawmakers, to block Trump's reelection bid in the state. The lawsuit is based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, known as the "disqualification clause," which states that individuals who have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the U.S. are barred from holding federal or state office.

Trump, who is facing 91 felony counts in total ahead of the November 2024 election, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including those stemming from his activities related to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He's also dismissed CREW's lawsuit and has called the group "deranged."

According to a court filing earlier this week, Trump has also sought to block an unknown individual called upon by CREW from testifying in the case against him. In a redacted version of a response from CREW's attorneys, which was shared to X, formerly Twitter, by Lawfare senior editor Roger Parloff, the witness in question is not named but is described by the petitioners as "a member of Trump's inner circle."

CREW's attorneys argue that the court should dismiss Trump's request to exclude the unknown witnesses' testimony because such a request is "premature" and the testimony will be "admissible" to the case at hand. The petitioners also write that Trump's objections to the witness' testimony should be raised at trial.

Petitioners also write that the unknown witness "regularly interacted with Trump and his West Wing and campaign staff" and is expected to testify on their "observations of Trump's communication with his supporters," "his acknowledgment of his ability to influence his supporters' conduct," and "his acknowledgment and appreciation of violent elements among his supporters (including groups that attacked the Capitol)," read the court document.

"As a member of Trump's inner circle, [redacted] witnessed Trump discuss the effect of his violent, extreme rhetoric on his supporters and disregard warnings about the potential for violence by his supporters," the petitioners wrote.

Colorado District Court Judge Sarah Wallace denied Trump's request to dismiss the civil suit on Wednesday. The case is scheduled to head for trial on Monday.

Similar lawsuits seeking to block the former president from the 2024 ballot have been filed in Michigan, New Hampshire and Arizona. John Anthony Castro, a Texas resident and long-shot candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, has filed the majority of such civil suits.

Newsweek reached out to Trump attorney Geoffrey Blue via email for comment Wednesday.