Marjorie Taylor Greene's candidacy challenged at hearing

ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attended a hearing Friday in Atlanta over a challenge filed by voters who say she shouldn't be allowed to seek reelection because she helped facilitate the attack on the Capitol that disrupted certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.

The challenge filed last month says the Republican congresswoman is ineligible to run under a provision of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, alleging that she aided and engaged in an insurrection to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021.

Greene has repeatedly denied aiding or engaging in an insurrection and has filed a lawsuit alleging that the law the voters are using to challenge her eligibility is itself unconstitutional. She is set to appear on the Republican ballot for Georgia's May 24 primary and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

When Greene entered the hearing room shortly before the proceeding began, dozens of her supporters in the room clapped and cheered loudly until a state trooper told them to be quiet.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and frequent Greene ally, was also in attendance and sat in the front row, just behind Greene and her lawyers.

In a statement Thursday, Trump incorrectly blamed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, both Republicans, for allowing the challenge against Greene, saying she is “going through hell in their attempt to unseat her.”

In fact, the challenge to Greene's eligibility to run for reelection was filed by five voters who live in her district, and the procedure for such a challenge is outlined in Georgia law.

The law says any voter who's eligible to vote for a candidate can challenge that candidate's qualifications by filing a written complaint with the...