Posted on 05/04/2014 10:35:19 AM PDT by Flame Retardant
The state's highest court on Thursday struck Gov. Tom Corbett's only Republican challenger from the May 20 primary election ballot, leaving Corbett unchallenged for the GOP nomination he was favored to win anyway.
In a 5-2 decision, the state Supreme Court reversed a Commonwealth Court ruling on grounds that conservative activist Bob Guzzardi's failure to file his statement of financial interests on time with the State Ethics Commission doomed his candidacy.
"The untimely filing of the statement constitutes a fatal defect that precludes a candidate's appearance on the ballot," the majority wrote.
Challengers backed by state Republican Party had raised the late ethics commission filing during a two-day hearing, but Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ruled that Guzzardi was not to blame because of mistakes by State Department employees.
Justices Max Baer and Debra McCloskey Todd dissented, saying Guzzardi was "ready, willing and able" to file the statement on time but did not because a State Department employee said it was unnecessary....
(Excerpt) Read more at delcotimes.com ...
A warning to Tea Party challengers: file the paperwork. Even if some state employee says you don’t have to file it, file it. Even if you’re giving out more info than you want to give, file it.
Keep yourself above reproach, dot all i’s and cross all t’s, because you will be challenged. That’s the first tactic any devious opponent will take, because it’s the easiest.
Don’t be that candidate, don’t fall in that trap.
is he still able to win as a write in?
Just think, had he been a dimokkkrat he wouldn’t even have had to file any paperwork or prove where he was born or where he went to school or if he had any finances. See, the republicrats still have some standards. LOL!
Terrible writing
Pingers....sigh.
Amen, Vulcan! Much as I hate to say it, nor making sure to follow the rules — no matter who deigns to advise you otherwise — is politically amateurish. Maybe Guzzardi will have another run at it in a couple of years, and make a better showing.
The lack of enthusiasm from conservative voters for Corbett is deafening in its silence. He’s in a lot of trouble.
(1) Any candidate for a State-level public office shall file a statement of financial
interests for the preceding calendar year with the commission on or before the last day for
filing a petition to appear on the ballot for election. A copy of the statement of financial
interests shall also be appended to such petition.
(3) No petition to appear on the ballot for election shall be accepted by the respective
State or local election officials unless the petition has appended thereto a statement of
financial interests as set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2). Failure to file the statement in
accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall, in addition to any other penalties
provided, be a fatal defect to a petition to appear on the ballot.
end snip
Yeah but ... he should have filed on time.
Doesn’t matter. Corbett gets slaughtered in the General.
PA is going to be in DEM hands once again.
Seems any time we get a republican they turn out solid RHINO when they get in.
Can’t afford to go anywhere when gas is at $3.95 a gallon and headed higher yet!
But who would want to go anywhere because Pennsylvania's roads are in such terrible condition?
This is the way it is done. To get rid of your challengers, the heck with the voters. Go to court and get them disqualified.
Most Americans would be amazed to hear that that is how Obama got into politics. He had moneyed interests who got all his challengers out through the courts. He never won an election before he got to the Senate - the skids were greased for him by probably very crooked money. The Chicago way.
The Republican opponent was removed by having sealed divorce records opened by a Dem judge and leaked all over the newspapers. It doesn’t get more unethical than that. But that is how the game is played. But it used to make me crazy when people used to tell me how “honest” Obama was. Ha. He is probably one of the most crooked ones out there ever, and that’s saying a lot.
Why should he have to file with some #?$@ ethics commission?
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