A judge ruled on Monday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate, will not appear on New York’s general election ballot because the address he provided was deemed fake.
Judge Christina Ryba of Albany County Supreme Court dismissed Kennedy’s petition, instructing the New York State Board of Elections not to include his name on the November 5th ballot.
Although Kennedy has lived in New York for many years, he currently resides in California with his wife, Cheryl Hines. A Super PAC aligned with the Democratic Party, called Clear Choice Action, sued to block his candidacy in New York, arguing that Kennedy did not actually live at the New York address he listed on his petition.
The address he provided was 84 Croton Lake Road. During the four-day trial, which began last week, Kennedy testified that he has a car registered in New York, is licensed to practice law there, and is eligible to vote in the state. However, he admitted that he had only stayed at the listed address once, about three weeks to a month earlier.
Judge Ryba concluded that Kennedy’s use of the Croton Lake Road address was not legitimate and was only used to maintain his voter registration and advance his political goals in New York.
“Using a friend’s address for political and voting purposes, while rarely being there, does not count as residency under Election Law,” she wrote in her ruling. “Allowing this would set a dangerous precedent and could lead to fraud and political manipulation.”
Kennedy, who is an environmental lawyer, announced that he plans to appeal the decision.
“The Democrats are showing their disregard for democracy,” he said in a statement. “They’re trying to block voters from having a choice because they don’t think they can win. We will appeal, and we will win.”
The trial concluded on Thursday as Kennedy tries to secure spots on ballots in all states. On Friday, he officially gained a place on the Texas ballot, making it the 17th state to do so, and his campaign claims he has gathered enough signatures for ballot access in 46 states.
However, Monday’s ruling could have significant consequences, as presidential candidates must use the same address on their nominating petitions in all states.
The Democratic National Committee responded to the decision by calling Kennedy a “fraud through and through,” adding that during the trial, Kennedy was repeatedly caught lying under oath to mislead the public about his candidacy.