Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene testified in the trial that will determine if she can appear on the upcoming Republican primary ballot.
A group of Georgia voters filed a legal challenge to Greene’s candidacy on April 1. They argued that under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, Greene is disqualified from holding federal office because of her involvement in the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Under the Civil War era clause, anyone who has taken the oath of office and has “engaged in insurrection” against the United States is prohibited from taking office.
“A federal judge on Monday night allowed that legal challenge to proceed,” reports The Hill. “Greene, one of former President Trump’s staunchest allies in Congress, has denied playing any role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and is appealing that decision.”
“All I did was what I’m legally and allowed to do by the Constitution as a member of Congress, and that was I objected to Joe Biden’s Electoral College votes from a few states,” Greene said during an interview with ABC News on April 19.
Spectators broke into a round of applause when she entered the Georgia courtroom on April 22.
“This is not a performance,” said Judge Charles Beaudrot after spectators were warned not to shout or clap during the proceedings after a mid-morning break.
Greene took the stand just after 11 A.M. wearing a light green dress. She affirmed that she became a member of Congress after being elected by the people of the 14th congressional district and was permitted to take her seat after taking the Congressional Oath of Office.
Ron Fein, a lawyer for the voters, asked several questions regarding Greene’s understanding of the Oath of Office and her knowledge of civilian plans to interrupt the congressional certification of the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Fein seemed to forget the judge had sworn the representative in and then moved to have Greene acknowledged as an adverse, hostile witness.
Greene’s attorney, James Bopp, made a number of objections pertaining to the relevance of the prosecution’s questions and violations of Greene’s rights.
Fein said Bopp’s first amendment objections were an attempt to interrupt his “flow” during his questioning of Greene.
Greene said she never asked anyone to travel to Washington D.C. to “engage in violence” but that she did encourage people to attend a rally held in support of then-President Donald Trump.
“You sound like you have as many conspiracy theories as QAnon,” Greene told Fein during one exchange involving an article from CNN quoting the representative.
At Fein’s request, Judge Beaudrot broke the trial for lunch at approximately 12:45 P.M.
“C’mon, Jim. We get to go have lunch,” Greene was heard saying to her attorney as she left the courtroom carrying a Bang energy drink.
Fein spent the majority of the afternoon questioning Greene about the term ‘1776’ and its possible connotation in some political circles as a call to violence. He reviewed a number of Greene’s social media posts and interviews that use the term and at one point played a scene from the 1996 film ‘Independence Day’ to lay the foundation for his claim that Greene knowingly called Americans to take part in a violent clash on Jan. 6, 2021.
Georgia’s primaries will take place on May 24 and early voting begins on May 2.
