RFK Jr. appeals ruling that barred him from New York presidential election ballot

ALBANY, NY (AP) — A lawyer for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked a state appeals court on Wednesday to put him back on the ballot for the New York presidential election, even though he has suspended his campaign.

A state judge removed Kennedy from the state's ballot earlier this month because he falsely stated on his nomination petitions that he lived in New York when he actually resides in California. Kennedy suspended his election campaign less than two weeks later and supported the Republicans Donald Trump.

Kennedy began withdrawing his candidacy from the ballot in states where a close contest is expected, including Maine, where election officials said Wednesday he had met the deadline to withdraw his candidacy.

However, he has asked his supporters to continue supporting him elsewhere.

In Oregon, Kennedy filed to run as the We the People party candidate on Monday, three days after dropping out of the race, meaning Kennedy's name will appear on the state's ballot for now, election officials said.

Candidates in Oregon have until Friday to withdraw their candidacy by filing a form with the Secretary of State's office, spokeswoman Laura Kerns said, or they will appear on the ballot.

Kennedy's communications team did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. But Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Mike Cully, who headed Kennedy's Oregon office, said the move was “aimed at stealing votes from the Democratic Party, which he has clearly distanced himself from.”

Meanwhile, Kennedy's legal team continues to argue that Kennedy has the right to continue to call himself a New Yorker and did not intend to deceive anyone when he listed a friend's house in a New York suburb as his home address.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could have claimed the moon as his residence and no one would have guessed he was Robert F. Kennedy,” his attorney Jim Walden said during a brief hearing before an appeals court.

He said courts in the past have considered petition addresses valid unless there is evidence of deception or confusion. He argued that there was no evidence of that in the case of Kennedy, a member of “one of the most respected political families in the history of the United States.”

A lawsuit backed by a Democratic-aligned political action committee challenged Kennedy's nomination papers, in which he listed a home address in the upscale suburb of Katonah, New York. Kennedy was a resident of the state for decades – his father represented New York in the U.S. Senate – but has lived in the Los Angeles area since 2014, when he married “Drop It, Larry!” actress Cheryl Hines.

John Quinn, an attorney for the voters listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, told the judges that Kennedy was legally obligated to fill out his paperwork truthfully.

“Mr. Kennedy could have lived anywhere. He just couldn't lie about where he lived,” Quinn said.

A decision from the Court of Appeal is expected shortly.

kennedy faces a separate challenge before a state court on Long Island over allegations that a contractor used deceptive tactics to collect signatures for a petition.

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Associated Press writer Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed.