COLORADO, USA — A star of a Netflix TV show says he is on the Colorado ballot for president.
Joseph Maldonado, aka Joe Exotic, one of the faces in the Netflix true crime documentary series "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness," announced on Monday that he is on the ballot.
Despite his claims, the Colorado Secretary of State (COSOS) says that Maldonado will not be on the ballot. 9NEWS reached out to COSOS to confirm if Maldonado would be on the ballot after his claims that he would be and they said,
"On June 20, 2023, the Secretary of State’s Office received certified mail that included a check from Joseph Maldonado’s lawyer on behalf of Joseph Maldonado for $500. The Secretary of State’s Office requires candidates to personally sign official documentation affirming they acknowledge state law requirements in addition to providing payment for ballot access. Since the 2024 presidential candidate paperwork has not been published and therefore was not completed by Maldonado, the Department will be returning the check with instructions for steps the candidate must take in order to be on the ballot. The Department cannot accept presidential candidate paperwork until the date of election has officially been announced."
COSOS also said they only place candidates on the ballot who are bona fide members of a major political party. If Maldonado does not become a bona fide member, he could become a write in candidate.
As of Wednesday morning, Maldonado still has his 2024 campaign website and announcement up.
In his statement announcing that he is on the Colorado ballot, he says he would decriminalize marijuana nationally and allow special interest groups to lease Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land.
Maldonado is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence after he was convicted of trying to hire two men to kill animal welfare activist Carole Baskin.
He said he would be the third person to run for president from federal prison.
At the end of his campaign announcement, it says, "PS Next up on the list to get on the ballot is New Hampshire."
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