(AFP) – A judge has ruled that presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed his residency was in New York and barred him from ballots in the US state, a court document filed on Tuesday revealed. The independent candidate, who vowed to appeal, had argued that a small spare room in the upstate New York home of a friend was his primary residence. The judge disagreed, ruling that he in fact lived in California.
“(The) address listed on the nominating petition was not Kennedy’s bona fide residence within the meaning of the Election Law,” judge Christina Ryba ruled Monday. “Kennedy’s connections with the… address existed only on paper and were maintained for the sole purpose of maintaining his voter registration and political standing in the State of New York.”
The filing showed that the judge reached her decision by considering, among other factors, the whereabouts of Kennedy’s menagerie of pets which featured an “emu, turtles, 20 falcons and hawks, and three dogs.” The judge said that the fact his pets remained in California was a sign that Kennedy did not intend to return to the New York State address.
Under the ruling, the New York State Board of Elections is barred from printing Kennedy’s name on ballots in the state for November’s presidential polls. “Team Kennedy will appeal yesterday’s adverse ruling by the trial court in Albany based on numerous arguments passed over by the trial court, including the unconstitutionality of New York’s placing higher restrictions on candidate residency than allowed by the 12th amendment,” Kennedy’s legal team said in a statement.
The case was brought by a group of concerned citizens, supported by a Democratic Party-aligned Political Action Committee. The ruling could open the door to similar decisions in other states as Kennedy used the New York address to collect signatures to register his candidacy.
A son of the storied Kennedy dynasty, RFK Jr. is on the ballot in 19 states, including key swing states such as Michigan and North Carolina. In 20 other states including New York, his campaign has filed for third-party status, according to reports. Republicans and Democrats have said that Kennedy, with a loyal following and strong name recognition, could affect their candidates’ chances at polls.
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