Texas lawyer files suit to see if Ted Cruz is a 'natural born citizen' qualified to be president
Sen. Ted Cruz. Rich Koele / Shutterstock.com
Seeking an official determination of whether a Republican candidate for U.S. president is a qualified American citizen, a Texas lawyer on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit in Houston asking for an expedited declaratory judgment on the issue.
Because Sen. Ted Cruz, a fellow Texan, was born in Canada to an American mother, some contend he isn’t a “natural born citizen,” as the U.S. constitution requires a president to be. Plaintiff Newton B. Schwartz Sr. told Bloomberg he doesn’t have a strong feeling about the question, but simply wants it to be settled before Cruz potentially could be elected.
“The country will be in chaos if he’s elected president or vice president and this goes to trial then,” said Schwartz, who personally made the filing, adding: “Let’s just get this thing settled before the primaries and the convention and the election.”
The New York Times (reg. req.), Talking Points Memo and the Wall Street Journal Law Blog (sub. req.) also have stories.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Does Ted Cruz’s Canadian birth bar him from presidency?”
