Judge Bars RFK Jr. From New York Election: NPR

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. delivers a keynote speech at the Bitcoin 2024 conference on July 26 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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A New York judge ruled Monday that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cannot appear on the ballot in that state because he failed to provide a legitimate address in his petition.

Judge Christina Ryba wrote in her ruling that the address listed on Kennedy’s nomination petition “was not Kennedy’s lawful and bona fide residence, but merely a ‘fictitious’ address that he assumed for the purpose of maintaining his voter registration and furthering his political aspirations” in New York.

The court found that Kennedy had a habit of “borrowing addresses from friends and relatives” while actually living in California.

“Using a friend’s address for political and voting purposes, without ever setting foot on the premises, does not amount to residency under the Election Act,” Ryba wrote. “To argue otherwise would set a dangerous precedent and open the door to the fraud and political harm that the Election Act’s residency rules were designed to prevent.”

In a statement, Kennedy’s campaign condemned the ruling and vowed to appeal.

The campaign said the ruling was issued “despite the fact that Kennedy is registered to vote in New York,” pays New York taxes, and has multiple state licenses, including a driver’s license, a lawyer’s license “and his falconry license.”

“Democrats are showing contempt for democracy,” Kennedy said in a statement. “They are not confident they can win at the polls, so they are trying to prevent voters from having a choice. We will appeal and win.”

THE latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows that voters began to shift away from third-party and independent candidates after Vice President Harris entered the race and was slated to be the Democratic nominee. The poll showed Kennedy’s support falling to just 5%.

Kennedy’s campaign has said it intends to appear on the ballot in all 50 states, a expensive and difficult logistical feat that has rarely been accomplished by an independent presidential candidate. In addition to the cost of collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures across the country, a major cost is the various lawsuits filed against and by the candidate.

Campaign officials have said they expect challenges from both parties as the election approaches, but Kennedy says the Democratic National Committee in particular has worked to keep him off the ballot.

“The DNC has become a party that uses lawfare in place of the democratic electoral process,” he said in a statement.

DNC spokesman Matt Corridoni said in a statement following the New York sentencing that Kennedy is a “troubled, reckless and dangerous man.”

“He doesn’t think the rules apply to him and refuses to consider the consequences of his actions,” she said.

This ruling could potentially impact Kennedy’s ability to appear on ballots in other states, as Kennedy has used this New York address on other petitions as well.