The hearing officer, a retired Republican judge, wrote a scathing assessment of Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection but said the courts ultimately should decide. The full board will consider the matter Tuesday Former Republican President Donald Trump participated in the fatal Jan. 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, but it’s the courts — and not the State Board of Elections — that should decide whether to remove him from Illinois’ primary ballot, a state hearing officer recommended Sunday.