2004 Independent presidential candidate and consumer advocate Ralph Nader filed a lawsuit against the Democratic Party on Oct. 23 contending that officials conspired to keep Nader off of the ballot in several states to keep him from drawing votes away from the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, also named Kerry’s campaign as co-defendants, the Service Employees International Union and several so-called “527 organizations” such as America Coming Together, which were created to increase voter turnout on behalf of the Democratic ticket.

“This lawsuit was filed to help advance a free and open electoral process for all candidates and voters,” Nader said in an official statement.

“Candidate rights and voter rights nourish each other for more voices, choices, and a more open and competitive democracy.”

Nader accuses Democratic National Committee officials, the campaign of ’04 Democratic nominee John Kerry, his running mate John Edwards, and a group called the Ballot Project of jointly planning a nationwide effort to block Nader and runningmate Peter Camejo from state ballots.

Dirk Deam, senior lecturer of political science at Iowa State said a lot of times these lawsuits are filed to point out the wrongs of the party in the eyes of the person filing the suit.

“If the Democratic National Party followed lawful protocol and took certain legal actions in regards to the Nader campaign,” Deam said, “it wouldn’t bear on his claim and all the claims are null.”

Deam said these lawsuits are to draw attention to the Democratic Party, and that it would not likely make it to trial.

“We do not comment on pending litigation,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda.