View source for Andy Martin

{{Short description|American politician (born 1945)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use American English|date = October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Andy Martin
| image               = AndyMartin.jpg
| birthname           = Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona
| birth_date          = {{birth year and age|1945}}
| birth_place         = [[Middletown, Connecticut]], U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (Before 1986, 1988–1990)<br />[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1986–1988, 1990–present)
| alma_mater          = [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois, Urbana–<br />Champaign]]
| caption             = Martin in 2011
}}
'''Anthony Robert Martin-Trigona''', usually known as '''Andy Martin''' (born 1945) is an American [[perennial candidate]] who has never been elected to office, running as both a Democrat and a Republican.

He is a [[vexatious litigation|vexatious litigant]] who has filed over 250 political lawsuits nationwide.<ref name="Trib">
{{cite news |author1=Chase, John |author2=Rick Pearson |title=Perennial candidate back for another race. |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=February 10, 2006 |access-date=June 14, 2011 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/02/10/perennial-candidate-back-for-another-race/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808191722/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-02-10/news/0602100246_1_illinois-supreme-court-perennial-candidate-bankruptcy |archive-date=August 8, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref> In Connecticut, a federal judge once banned Martin from filing lawsuits in any court in the nation without a judge's permission. The federal judge said Martin considered filing lawsuits to be a "veritable sport."<ref name="JIM Di PAOLA, Staff Writer for the SUN-SENTINEL">{{cite news | publisher = sun-sentinel.com | date = November 2, 1996 | title = INSULTED JUDGE SENDS STATE SENATE CANDIDATE TO JAIL | author = JIM Di PAOLA, Staff Writer for the SUN-SENTINEL | url = https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1996-11-02-9611020184-story.html}}</ref>

''[[The Nation]]'',<ref name="Nation">
{{Cite news |first=Christopher |last=Hayes |author-link=Christopher Hayes (journalist) |title=The New Right-Wing Smear Machine |url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071112/hayes/single |work=[[The Nation]] |date=November 12, 2007 |access-date=October 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526204635/http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071112/hayes/single |archive-date=May 26, 2008 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'',<ref name="WaPo">
Mosk, Matthew. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062703781.html An Attack That Came Out of the Ether] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109073957/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062703781.html |date=November 9, 2017 }}. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', June 28, 2008.
</ref> and ''[[The New York Times]]''<ref name=NYT>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html|title=The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama |last=Rutenberg |first=Jim|date=October 12, 2008 |work=New York Times|access-date=October 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210152932/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html |archive-date=December 10, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> identified Martin as the primary source of [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories|false rumors]] that then-presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]] was [[Crypto-Muslim|secretly a Muslim]] during the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]] (an allegation Martin had made as early as 2004). In a later interview with [[CNN]], Martin explicitly abandoned this view and now asserts Obama's real father is not [[Barack Obama Sr.]], but [[African-American]] journalist [[Frank Marshall Davis]].<ref name="rawstory"/>

On October 17, 2008, Martin filed a [[lawsuit]] against the state of [[Hawaii]] calling for the public release of Barack Obama's [[birth certificate]] and other [[vital record]]s.  At the time, [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories]] postulated that Obama is not a [[natural-born citizen]] of the United States. Obama had previously posted an image of his [[Birth certificate#Short forms|short-form birth certificate]] online.<ref name="my.barackobama.com">
[http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert The truth about Barack's birth certificate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026013839/http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert |date=October 26, 2008 }}, Obama for America. Retrieved June 14, 2008.
</ref><ref name="factcheck.org">
[http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html “Born in the U.S.A.: The truth about Obama's birth certificate”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025003852/http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html |date=October 25, 2008 }}, FactCheck.org  (August 26, 2008): "The document is a 'certification of birth,' also known as a short-form birth certificate. The long form is drawn up by the hospital and includes additional information such as birth weight and parents' hometowns."
</ref>  But Martin's lawsuit sought a copy of Sen. Obama's [[Birth certificate#Long forms|long-form birth certificate]]. On November 19, the [[Supreme Court of Hawaii|Hawaii Supreme Court]] dismissed Martin's lawsuit.

==Early life==
Martin was born in 1945 in [[Middletown, Connecticut]].<ref name="NewTimes">
Norman, Bob. [http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2003-07-31/news/operation-baghdad/full Operation Baghdad] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907001803/http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2003-07-31/news/operation-baghdad/full |date=September 7, 2008 }}.  [[New Times Broward-Palm Beach]], July 31, 2003.
</ref> His father, Ralph Beneducci Martin-Trigona, was of Italian, Maltese, and English descent, and his mother, Helen Anthony (née Vasiliou), was Greek American.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Illinois+Republican+Andy+Martin+Asks+Chicago+Cardinal+for+Special...-a0110276154 |title=Illinois Republican Andy Martin Asks Chicago Cardinal for Special Memorial Service to Honor Italian Soldiers Killed in Iraq. - Free Online Library |publisher=Thefreelibrary.com |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024042309/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Illinois+Republican+Andy+Martin+Asks+Chicago+Cardinal+for+Special...-a0110276154 |archive-date=October 24, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.thepostemail.com/2011/02/28/is-andy-martin-a-natural-born-citizen/ |title=Is Andy Martin a Natural Born Citizen? &#124; The Post & Email |publisher=Thepostemail.com |date=February 28, 2011 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321112754/http://www.thepostemail.com/2011/02/28/is-andy-martin-a-natural-born-citizen/ |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref> He received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] from the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign|University of Illinois]] in 1966, and a [[Juris Doctor|J.D.]] from that institution in 1969.

==Career==
In 1973 the [[Illinois Supreme Court]] refused to grant Martin a license to practice law in the state due to such conduct as attempting to have a parking violation thrown out because it had been "entered by an insane judge" and for commenting that an attorney, who suffers from a mild case of cerebral palsy, was "shaking and tottering and drooling like an idiot."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://174.123.24.242/leagle/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=197335655Ill2d301_1319.xml&docbase=CSLWAR1-1950-1985 | title=IN RE MARTIN-TRIGONA | date=September 25, 1973 | access-date=October 23, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527011922/http://174.123.24.242/leagle/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=197335655Ill2d301_1319.xml&docbase=CSLWAR1-1950-1985| archive-date=May 27, 2012}}</ref> The court also cited Martin's [[Selective Service]] record, which attributed to him "a moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a [[paranoia|paranoid]] flavor and a grandiose character."<ref name="Trib"/>

Martin then became involved in consumer advocacy and referred to himself as "the people's attorney general". He claimed to be the first to file [[antitrust]] cases against the [[Big Three television networks]] for anticompetitive practices in network affiliation agreements and the first to bring a lawsuit under the civil component of the [[Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act]] (RICO).<ref>
{{cite web |title=Martin's official biography |url=http://www.andymartin.com/bio.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422235649/http://www.andymartin.com/bio.htm |archive-date=April 22, 2012 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |publisher=Andymartin.com |df=mdy-all}}
</ref>

===Political campaigns===
Martin grew up as a Democrat, and served as an intern to [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Paul Douglas (Illinois politician)|Paul Douglas]] in the summer of 1966. In 1977, he ran in a [[1977 Chicago mayoral special election|special election for Mayor of Chicago]], but lost in the Democratic primary to acting mayor [[Michael A. Bilandic|Michael Bilandic]], receiving less than 3% of the vote.

Over the years, Martin has run in various elections in Connecticut, [[Florida]], and Illinois as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], and an [[Independent (politics)|independent]]. Among them:
* [[1977 Chicago mayoral special election]] (Democratic primary)
* [[1978 United States Senate election in Illinois]] (Democratic primary)
* [[1980 United States Senate election in Illinois]] (Democratic primary)
* [[Connecticut's 3rd congressional district]] election, 1986 (Democratic primary)<ref name="sun-sentinel.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1996-09-26-9609260092-story.html|title=GOP DISAVOWS CANDIDATE|website=Sun-sentinel.com|date=September 26, 1996 |access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref>
* [[President of the United States]], 1988 (Democratic primary)<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html|title=The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama|first=Jim|last=Rutenberg|date=October 13, 2008|access-date=November 23, 2021|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
* [[1990 Florida gubernatorial election]] (Republican primary) - 4th of five candidates, 28,591 votes (4.30%)
* U.S. House from Florida, 1992 (Republican primary)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/opinion/article24504730.html|title=Commentary: Fox News' Obama 'expert' has long Florida resume|website=Mcclatchydc.com|access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Florida State Senate]], 1996 (unsuccessful Republican nominee)<ref name="sun-sentinel.com"/>
* [[1998 United States Senate election in Florida]] (Republican primary) - 2nd of two candidates, 184,739 votes (33.60%)
* President of the United States, 2000 (Republican primary)<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
* [[2000 United States Senate election in Florida]] (unsuccessful independent candidate) - 7th of seven candidates, 15,889 votes (0.27%)
* [[2006 Illinois gubernatorial election]] (Republican primary) - 5th of five candidates, 6,095 votes (0.83%)
* [[2008 United States Senate election in Illinois]] (Republican primary) - 2nd of three candidates, 240,548 votes (33.85%)
* [[2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois]] (Republican primary) - 5th of six candidates, 37,359 votes (5.0%)
* [[2012 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary]] - only 19 votes.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.wmur.com/r/26943703/detail.html |title=Presidential Candidate Threatens To Sue NHGOP Chair - New Hampshire News Story - WMUR New Hampshire |publisher=Wmur.com |date=February 21, 2011 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313190259/http://www.wmur.com/r/26943703/detail.html |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2011/02/birther-candidate-on-the-air-in-nh-050094 |title=Birther candidate on the air in N.H. - Juana Summers |date=February 24, 2011 |publisher=Politico.Com |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508080210/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/50094.html |archive-date=May 8, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref>
* [[2014 United States Senate election in New Hampshire]] (Republican primary) - 7th of 10 candidates, 734 votes (0.67%) <ref>
{{cite web |url=http://sos.nh.gov/2014USSRepPrim.aspx?id=8589938878 |title=2014 United States Senate - Republican Primary |publisher=New Hampshire Secretary of State |access-date=August 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910223250/http://sos.nh.gov/2014USSRepPrim.aspx?id=8589938878 |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref>
* [[2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary]]<ref>
{{cite news|url=https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27Birther_King%27_announces_2016_campaign_for_U.S._president|title='Birther King' announces 2016 campaign for U.S. president|date=August 16, 2015|newspaper=[[Wikinews]]|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906105858/https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/%27Birther_King%27_announces_2016_campaign_for_U.S._president|archive-date=September 6, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web|url=http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/882/201507169000246882/201507169000246882.pdf|title=Andy Martin FEC Filing|date=July 16, 2015|work=Federal Election Commission|access-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911004602/http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/882/201507169000246882/201507169000246882.pdf|archive-date=September 11, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref>
* [[2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire]], [[New Hampshire's 1st congressional district|1st district]] (Republican primary) 3rd of 6 candidates, 2,072 (4.2%) <ref>
{{Cite web |url=https://www.wmur.com/article/republican-first-congressional-district-candidates-meet-with-voters-at-winery/22579308 |title=Republican First Congressional District candidates meet with voters at winery |date=July 28, 2018 |access-date=August 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802223716/https://www.wmur.com/article/republican-first-congressional-district-candidates-meet-with-voters-at-winery/22579308 |archive-date=August 2, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NH Elections Database » 2018 U.S. House Republican Primary District 1 |url=https://nh.electionstats.com/elections/view/132652/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=NH Elections Database |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire]], (Republican primary), 3rd of 4 candidates, 6,443 votes (4.6%)<ref>{{Cite web |title=NH Elections Database » 2020 U.S. Senate Republican Primary |url=https://nh.electionstats.com/elections/view/145370/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=NH Elections Database |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-03 |title=Andy Martin 2020 for US Senate Uses Jeanne Shaheen to Attack the NHGOP |url=https://granitegrok.com/blog/2019/05/andy-martin-2020-for-us-senate-uses-jeanne-shaheen-to-attack-the-nhgop |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Granite Grok |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[2022 United States Senate election in New Hampshire]], (Republican primary), 7th of 11 candidates, 920 votes<ref>{{Cite web |title=NH Elections Database » 2022 U.S. Senate Republican Primary |url=https://nh.electionstats.com/elections/view/153924/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=NH Elections Database |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire]], [[New Hampshire's 1st congressional district|1st district]] (Republican primary)<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Election Details |url=https://www.sos.nh.gov/2024-election-details |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250527145410/https://www.sos.nh.gov/2024-election-details |archive-date=2025-05-27 |access-date=2025-06-18 |website=New Hampshire Secretary of State |language=en}}</ref>

===1996===
Martin's 1996 run for the [[Florida State Senate]] unraveled when it was revealed that he had named his campaign committee for his 1986 congressional run "The Anthony R. Martin-Trigona Congressional Campaign to Exterminate [[Jewish world domination|Jew Power]] in America." The revelation led the state Republican Party to renounce him.

Just before the election, Martin assaulted two cameramen from [[WPTV (TV)|WPTV]], the [[NBC]] affiliate in [[West Palm Beach]], while they were interviewing him at the TV station.  At the trial he arrived late and used the dais to address the television cameras. He then refused to continue the trial with a judge that had been "bought and paid for". The judge immediately held Martin in criminal [[contempt of court]] and ordered him jailed for one month.

On the assault charge, he was convicted of [[mischief|criminal mischief]] and sentenced to a year in jail. However, when he was let out of jail for the contempt charge after serving one month, he was not re-incarcerated for the assault charge, due to a "paperwork glitch".<ref name="JIM Di PAOLA, Staff Writer for the SUN-SENTINEL"/><ref>{{cite news | date = October 13, 2008 | title = Commentary: Fox News' Obama 'expert' has long Florida resume | author = FRED GRIMM - MIAMI HERALD | url = https://www.mcclatchydc.com/opinion/article24504730.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | publisher = tampabay.com | date = September 13, 2005 | title = U.S. SENATE | author = CURTIS KRUEGER | url = https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/08/26/u-s-senate/}}</ref>

Martin never returned to serve out the remainder of his term, and a [[Arrest warrant|warrant]] was issued for his arrest, making him subject to having to serve 16 months in jail.<ref name="NewTimes"/> The warrant was still outstanding as of the time of Martin's 2008 Senate run, but Martin said the issue was being "resolved."<ref>
Mendell, David, and Rick Pearson. [http://www.weareillinois.org/connect/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=3058 GOP slate in Illinois U.S. Senate race] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703005344/http://www.weareillinois.org/connect/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=3058 |date=July 3, 2008 }} .  [[Chicago Tribune]], 2008-02-01.  Hosted by [[Illinois Republican Party]].
</ref>

===2000===
During Martin's 2000 run for president, he accused [[George W. Bush]] of using [[cocaine]]. In 2003, several months before [[Saddam Hussein]] was captured, Martin claimed to have found the former [[Iraq]]i dictator's hideout.<ref name="NewTimes"/>

===2010===
Martin was a [[United States Senate elections in Illinois, 2010|2010 Republican candidate for U.S. Senator]] in Illinois for the seat being vacated by Sen. [[Roland Burris]].<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.carbondale.il.us/?q=node/748|title=State primary election scheduled for February 2, 2010|publisher=ci.carbondale.il.us|access-date=January 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810053222/http://ci.carbondale.il.us/?q=node%2F748|archive-date=August 10, 2011|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref> In December 2009, Martin ran radio ads which included Martin requesting that one of his primary opponents, Congressman [[Mark Kirk]], answer claims about his sexuality made by [[Jack Roeser]], a radio talk show host.<ref name="suntimesallegation">{{Cite news |last=Pallasch |first=Abdon M. |title=GOP opponent claims front-runner Mark Kirk is gay in attack ad |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |location=Chicago |date=December 28, 2009 |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1961750,mark-kirk-gay-attack-ad-election-122809.article |access-date=December 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231020108/http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1961750%2Cmark-kirk-gay-attack-ad-election-122809.article |archive-date=December 31, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another ad alleged that Kirk, as well as former House Speaker [[Dennis Hastert]], had always known of fellow Congressman [[Mark Foley congressional page incident|Mark Foley]]'s relationship with a former Page, and had done "nothing to stop Foley's pedophilia, for years", and said, that by extension, Kirk was "a de facto pedophile".<ref>
{{Cite web |url=http://www.stopobamacoalition.com/andyforussenator/images/Martin2.mp3 |title=Archived copy |access-date=March 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512023736/http://www.stopobamacoalition.com/andyforussenator/images/Martin2.mp3 |archive-date=May 12, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/andy-martin-gop-senate-ca_n_413624.html | work=Huffington Post | first=Will | last=Guzzardi | title=Andy Martin, GOP Senate Candidate, Calls Opponent Mark Kirk A "De Facto Pedophile" (AUDIO) | date=January 6, 2010 | access-date=March 1, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111144813/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/andy-martin-gop-senate-ca_n_413624.html | archive-date=November 11, 2012 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}
</ref> In response, the state Republican Party announced that Martin would no longer be recognized as a legitimate candidate.<ref name="suntimesallegation" /><ref name="WBBM">{{Citation|last1=Dellimore |first1=Craig |last2=Pillman |first2=Stan |title=Political Ad Questions Republican's Sexual Orientation |work=WBBM |date=December 28, 2009 |url=http://www.wbbm780.com/Political-Ad-Questions-Republican-s-Sexual-Orienta/5952370 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231024837/http://www.wbbm780.com/Political-Ad-Questions-Republican-s-Sexual-Orienta/5952370 |archive-date=December 31, 2009 }}</ref> Martin received 37,359 votes, five percent of the total votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elections.chicagotribune.com|title=Chicago tribune election centre|publisher= Chicago Tribune|date=February 3, 2010|access-date=March 9, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100223051459/http://elections.chicagotribune.com/| archive-date= February 23, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> He attempted to run for the U.S. Senate in the general election as a member of the Reform Party of Illinois, but he did not qualify for the ballot.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://www.wgil.com/localnews.php?xnewsaction=fullnews&newsarch=082010&newsid=357 |title=Galesburg Radio 14...WGIL |publisher=Wgil.com |access-date=October 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030170642/http://www.wgil.com/localnews.php?xnewsaction=fullnews&newsarch=082010&newsid=357 |archive-date=October 30, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
</ref>

===Litigation and antisemitic allegations===
Over the years, Martin has filed numerous lawsuits, and was labeled as a [[vexatious litigation|vexatious litigant]] by Edward Weinfeld, a federal judge for the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]], who observed that Martin had a tendency to file "a substantial number of lawsuits of a vexatious, frivolous and scandalous nature."<ref name="Trib"/> A number of these filings were allegedly [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]] in nature. In a 1983 bankruptcy case, Martin filed a motion calling the presiding judge "a crooked, slimy [[Jew]] who has a history of lying and thieving common to members of his race."<ref name="NYT"/> In another motion that year, Martin stated, "I am able to understand how [[the Holocaust]] took place, and with every passing day feel less and less sorry that it did."<ref name="NYT"/> He went on to say that "Jew survivors are operating as a wolf pack to steal my property."<ref>
''Washington Times'': Gadfly's TV ads target Bush in N.H.  December 22, 1999.  [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0F3F4912C1E0C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Newsbank archive.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511022412/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0F3F4912C1E0C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=May 11, 2013 }}
</ref> When later pressed in an interview about his remarks, Martin claimed that the anti-Semitic comments were inserted into his court papers by malicious judges.<ref name="NYT"/>

In 1983, [[José A. Cabranes]], a federal judge for the [[United States District Court for the District of Connecticut]], issued a sweeping [[injunction]] barring Martin or anyone acting "at his behest, at his direction or instigation, or in concert with him" from filing any new action or proceeding in any federal or state court without first seeking permission from the court in which he wished to file that action or proceeding.<ref name="11th Circuit">
[http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/986/986.F2d.1384.-.91-5867.html Martin-Trigona v. Shaw] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516153841/http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/986/986.F2d.1384.-.91-5867.html |date=May 16, 2010 }} , 986 F.2d 1384.
</ref> In his ruling, Cabranes noted that Martin had a tendency to file legal actions with "persistence, viciousness, and general disregard for decency and logic." According to Cabranes, Martin's practice was to file "an incessant stream of frivolous or meritless motions, demands, letters to the court and other documents," as well as "vexatious lawsuits" against anyone who dared cross him, including court personnel and their families. For instance, in the midst of the proceeding, Martin sued Cabranes himself, along with the judge's wife. Martin then sought, unsuccessfully, to have Cabranes [[recused]].<ref>''In re Anthony R. Martin-Trigona'', 573 F.Supp. 1237 (D. Conn. 1983)</ref>

On appeal from Cabranes' ruling, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit|Second Circuit Court of Appeals]] limited the scope of the injunction to federal courts, but stated that the federal courts were constitutionally obligated to protect themselves and the administration of justice from vexatious litigants like Martin.<ref>
[http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F2/737/1254/ Martin-Trigona v. Smith et al.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724022439/http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F2/737/1254/ |date=July 24, 2008 }}, 737 F.2d 1254.
</ref>

Since then, Martin has continued his pattern of filing legal actions. He has repeatedly been cited for contempt for violating the federal injunction.<ref>
[http://openjurist.org/767/f2d/35/united-states-v-r-martin-trigona] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126071127/http://openjurist.org/767/f2d/35/united-states-v-r-martin-trigona|date=November 26, 2011}}, 767 F.2d 35
</ref> The [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida]] estimated that he has filed thousands of proceedings over the years. In 1993 the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit|Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals]] determined that his mother was acting in concert with him by filing a federal civil rights action against several Florida state officials. The court noted similar wording in the suit filed by Martin's mother and a petition filed by Martin himself. In throwing out the suit, the Eleventh Circuit called Martin "a notoriously vexatious and vindictive litigator who has long abused the American legal system."<ref name="11th Circuit"/> Most recently, a [[libel]] and [[invasion of privacy]] suit against [[Media Matters for America|Media Matters]] and its founder, [[David Brock]], was [[Prejudice (legal procedure)|dismissed with prejudice]] because Martin had violated the terms of the injunction.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://mediamatters.org/static/pdf/07C3154MartinvBrock-01.pdf |title=Abstract of dismissal of Media Matters case |website=[[Media Matters for America]] |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517121934/http://mediamatters.org/static/pdf/07C3154MartinvBrock-01.pdf |archive-date=May 17, 2008 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref>

Martin has been sanctioned at the state level as well.  He is banned from seeking indigent status in Florida courts due to his history of filing abusive petitions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/pre2004/ops/sc93573.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-04-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606073745/http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/pre2004/ops/sc93573.pdf |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref> Martin is also prohibited from filing lawsuits in New York, unless represented by an attorney or with the court's prior approval.<ref>''Martin-Trigona v. Capital Cities/ABC, Inc.'' 546 N.Y.S.2d 910 (N.Y. Sup., 1989)</ref>

In November 2015, Martin filed a challenge to the appearance of [[Bernie Sanders]] on the New Hampshire ballot for the Democratic primary.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/voters-kick-ted-cruz-bernie-sanders-off-nh/story?id=35186897|title=Some Voters Trying to Kick Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders Off NH Ballot|first=Brad|last=Mielke|date=November 14, 2015|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=November 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115162038/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/voters-kick-ted-cruz-bernie-sanders-off-nh/story?id=35186897|archive-date=November 15, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The challenge was unsuccessful, but Martin announced plans to appeal to the [[New Hampshire Supreme Court]].<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.wmur.com/politics/state-elections-panel-rejects-challenge-to-sanders-democratic-primary-ballot-eligibility/36638190|title=State elections panel rejects challenge to Sanders' Democratic primary ballot eligibility|last=DiStaso|first=John|date=November 24, 2015|work=[[WMUR-TV]]|access-date=November 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125165331/http://www.wmur.com/politics/state-elections-panel-rejects-challenge-to-sanders-democratic-primary-ballot-eligibility/36638190|archive-date=November 25, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref>

==Role in rumors about Obama==

===Allegations of Obama being a Muslim===
According to a report by journalist [[Christopher Hayes (journalist)|Chris Hayes]] for ''The Nation'', Martin issued a press release shortly after Obama's keynote speech at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]] that he had evidence Obama "lied to the American people" and "misrepresent[ed] his own heritage."  Martin claimed that Obama was really a [[Muslim]], was possibly hiding this fact "to endanger [[Israel]],"<ref name="Nation"/> and that "[Obama's] Muslim religion would obviously raise serious questions in many Jewish circles."<ref name="NYT"/>

Within a few days, the conservative site ''[[Free Republic]]'' picked up Martin's press release, triggering a long discussion. However, according to Hayes, the issue went dormant after Obama's election to the Senate, only to pick up again in 2006 as rumors spread that Obama was considering a presidential run.<ref name="Nation"/>  In October, a conservative [[blog]], Infidel Bloggers Alliance, reposted Martin's press release in response to a question about Obama's heritage.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://ibloga.blogspot.com/2006/10/is-barack-obama-lying-about-his-life.html |title=Infidel Bloggers Alliance: Is Barack Obama Lying About His Life Story? |publisher=Ibloga.blogspot.com |date=October 23, 2006 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222081103/http://ibloga.blogspot.com/2006/10/is-barack-obama-lying-about-his-life.html |archive-date=February 22, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}
</ref> Then, on December 26, conservative activist Ted Sampley, co-founder of Vietnam Veterans Against [[John Kerry]], posted a column suggesting Obama was a [[the closet|closeted]] Muslim, heavily quoting Martin's original press release.<ref>
{{Cite web |url=http://www.usvetdsp.com/dec06/obama_muslim.htm |title=Barak Hussein Obama - Who is he?<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=April 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604005944/http://www.usvetdsp.com/dec06/obama_muslim.htm |archive-date=June 4, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} 
</ref>

According to Hayes, the first of many emails suggesting Obama was a Muslim was forwarded to ''[[Snopes]]'' within hours of Sampley's story. Hayes believes that the email was likely a slightly altered version of the Sampley article, which was in turn heavily based on Martin's 2004 press release. Martin told Hayes that he got numerous calls once the emails began circulating. When the callers asked him if he wrote the release, Martin replied, "They are all my children."<ref name="Nation" />

On June 28, 2008,  Martin told ''The Washington Post'' that he wasn't "trying to smear anybody," but that it was "just an underreported story."<ref name="WaPo"/>

[[Jerome Corsi]]'s book ''[[The Obama Nation]]'', published on August 1, 2008, opens with a quote from Martin on Obama's alleged Muslim heritage and supposed attempts to conceal it.<ref name=NYT /> In October, Jim Rutenberg of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the book had been "widely discredited".<ref name=NYT />

On October 5, 2008, Martin was featured as a "journalist" on ''[[Hannity's America]]'' of the [[Fox News Channel]]. According to ''The New York Times'', "The program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government."<ref name=NYT /> In a subsequent appearance on ''[[Hannity & Colmes]]'', [[Robert Gibbs]], Obama's communications director, criticized Hannity for allowing Martin to appear on the show.<ref>
{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/us/politics/08gibbs.html?ref=politics | work=The New York Times | title=Gibbs Is Set to Rise in Obama's Inner Circle | first=Jim | last=Rutenberg | date=November 8, 2008 | access-date=April 25, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217161647/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/us/politics/08gibbs.html?ref=politics | archive-date=February 17, 2018 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}
</ref>

Then-Fox Senior Vice President [[Bill Shine]] later retracted support for Martin as a guest: "Having that guy on was a mistake. We obviously didn't do enough research on who the guest was."<ref>
{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/26/AR2008102602224_pf.html|title=Worlds Apart: The Great Hannity-Olbermann Divide|last=Kurtz|first=Howard|date=October 27, 2008|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508190633/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/26/AR2008102602224_pf.html|archive-date=May 8, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref>

===Allegations of Obama's father being Frank Marshall Davis===
In an interview featured on the [[CNN]] network's ''[[American Morning]]'' program on October 27, 2008, Martin explicitly abandoned his view that Barack Obama is a Muslim.<ref name="rawstory"/> In the interview, Martin said that Obama was not the son of [[Barack Obama, Sr.]], but rather the son of [[Frank Marshall Davis]], an [[African American]] journalist and political activist who wrote for a newspaper in Hawaii in the 1940s and 1950s that was accused by the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] as being a front for the [[Communist Party USA]].<ref name="rawstory">
{{Citation| last1 = Edwards| first1 = David| last2 = Kane| first2 = Muriel| title = Author of Obama Muslim rumor replaces it with Communist rumor| newspaper = The Raw Story| date = October 27, 2008| url = http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Author_of_Obama_Muslim_rumor_changes_1027.html| access-date = October 28, 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081030000110/http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Author_of_Obama_Muslim_rumor_changes_1027.html| archive-date = October 30, 2008| url-status = live| df = mdy-all}}
</ref> Martin claimed that he discovered this after a recent trip to [[Honolulu]], although he offered CNN no substantive proof for the claim.<ref name="rawstory"/>

===Lawsuit against the state of Hawaii===
[[Image:BarackObamaCertificationOfLiveBirthHawaii.jpg|thumb|President Barack Obama's short-form birth certificate]]
On October 17, 2008, Martin filed a lawsuit in a state [[circuit court]] of [[Hawaii]] against Governor [[Linda Lingle]] and state health department director Dr. Chiyome Fukino, seeking to verify the state's official [[birth certificate]] for Obama.<ref name="honolulu advertiser"/> Months before this suit, the Obama campaign posted an image of his [[Birth certificate#Short forms|short-form birth certificate]] online.<ref name="my.barackobama.com"/><ref name="factcheck.org"/> Martin's lawsuit sought to order the state to release a copy of Obama's [[Birth certificate#Long forms|long-form birth certificate]].<ref name="Suit targets Obama document">
Roig, Suzanne. [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081018/NEWS05/810180353/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT "Suit targets Obama document"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021050906/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081018/NEWS05/810180353/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT |date=October 21, 2008 }} , ''[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]'' (October 18, 2008).
</ref>

The short-form birth certificate that the Obama campaign posted online stated that his date of birth as August 4, 1961, his place of birth as [[Honolulu]], Hawaii, and other details.<ref name="honolulu advertiser"/> Martin was quoted as saying, "I want to see a certified copy issued by the state of Hawai'i, not one issued by the state of Obama."<ref name="honolulu advertiser">{{cite news|last=Roig |first=Suzanne |title=Suit targets Obama document: Foe of presidential candidate wants birth certificate, related files |newspaper=Honolulu Advertiser |date=October 18, 2008 |url=http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081018/NEWS05/810180353/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021050906/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081018/NEWS05/810180353/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT |archive-date=October 21, 2008 |df=mdy }}</ref>

Hawaii State Department and Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo stated that only people with a "tangible relationship" to a person can access a copy of the person's birth certificate, adding that a 1949 law "was enacted primarily to protect your private information, especially in these days where there's ID theft."<ref name="honolulu advertiser"/> Attorney General Mark Bennett said that he had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment on it, but said that according to Hawaii Revised Statutes it is unlawful to release [[vital record]]s to anyone except individuals listed in state records as having close relations with Obama (that is, a spouse, parents, descendants, or someone with a common ancestor).<ref name="honolulu advertiser"/> In regard to a designee representing Obama, Okubo says "If someone from Obama's campaign gave us permission in person and presented some kind of verification that he or she was Obama's designee, we could release the vital record."<ref name="honolulu advertiser"/>

On October 22, 2008, in a Honolulu court proceeding overseen by the Honorable Bert I. Ayabe of the First Circuit of the Supreme Court of Hawaii, the court denied Martin's petition for a [[writ of mandamus]] to order the release of Obama's vital records. A further hearing was held on November 18. On November 19, the court denied Martin's "emergency motion" and dismissed Martin's lawsuit, based on Martin's lack of legal [[standing (law)|standing]] to obtain another person's birth document.<ref>
Jim Dooley, [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081121/NEWS20/811210355/1001/localnewsfront "Obama certificate lawsuit dismissed: Judge says Net author Martin had no standing to get birth document], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107013907/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081121/NEWS20/811210355/1001/localnewsfront |date=January 7, 2009 }}  ''[[Honolulu Advertiser]]'', November 21, 2008.
</ref>

On April 27, 2011, White House staffers gave reporters a copy of the official long-form certificate, and posted a PDF image of the certificate on the White House website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://obamawhitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf|title=Barack Obama's long form birth certificate|access-date=March 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213083303/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf |archive-date=February 13, 2019 |url-status=live| publisher = obamawhitehouse.archives.gov}} [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate.pdf Alt URL]</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42779923|title=Obama releases detailed U.S. birth certificate|work=NBC News|date=April 27, 2011|access-date=April 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501013419/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42779923/|archive-date=May 1, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The certificate reconfirmed the information on the official short-form certificate released in 2008, and provided additional details such as the name of the hospital where Obama was born.<ref name="USATodayLong">
{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-04-27-obama-birth-certificate_n.htm?csp=34news|title=Obama releases long-form birth certificate|last=Page|first=Susan|author2=Jackie Kucinich|date=April 27, 2011|work=USA Today|access-date=April 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430145603/http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-04-27-obama-birth-certificate_n.htm?csp=34news|archive-date=April 30, 2011|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}
</ref><ref name="CNNLong">{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/27/obama.birth.certificate/index.html|title=Obama releases original long-form birth certificate|last=Silverleib|first=Alan|date=April 27, 2011|publisher=CNN|access-date=April 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429045607/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/27/obama.birth.certificate/index.html|archive-date=April 29, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{wikinews|Wikinews interviews Andy Martin, U.S. Republican Party presidential candidate}}
* [http://www.andymartin.com Martin's personal Website]
* {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=12821 | fec=P00003731 | congress= }}<!-- Links formerly displayed via the {{CongLinks}} template:
* [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=47197 Financial information (state office)] at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
* [http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Andy_Martin.htm Issue positions and quotes] at [[On the Issues]]
* -->

{{United States presidential election, 1988}}
{{United States presidential election, 2000}}
{{United States presidential election, 2012}}
{{United States presidential election, 2016}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Andy}}
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