Below are President Judge Craig Dally's decisions in 13 challenges to the nomination petitions filed by 12 candidates for this year's municipal primary. I posted Judge Dally's decisions yesterday at 5:01 pm and am updating this story now with my observations. Although I missed the hearings as a result of allergies, my brother was present for a few of them and shared some of his observations with me.
1) Failure to File a Timely Statement of Financial Interests with the Governing Body is Usually a Fatal Error. - Five of the 13 challenges considered by the court involved allegations that a candidate failed to file a timely Statement of Financial Interests, also called an Ethics Statement, with the governing body of the municipality in which election is being sought. It never ceases to amaze me how many candidates make this mistake.
When a nomination petition is filed in the elections office, a SFI is attached. But Pa. law requires that the SFI must also be filed with the governing body, and within the same time frame that nomination petitions themselves are due. The legislature has expressly stated that failure to file this statement is a "fatal defect to a petition to appear on the ballot," and that is how courts have interpreted it. In Northampton County, Executive candidate George Ginople was rejected from the ballot for this error, and in 1997, Judge Jack Panella tossed Jack Bradt from the NorCo Council ballot for the same infraction.
Patti Bruno, running for a seat on County Council, has managed several campaigns. It is simply astonishing to me that she would make this kind of mistake. But she did. Now Democrats have just five candidates for County Council, and it's an incredibly weak field. Nadeem Qayyum, at a recent Democratic breakfast, promised to raise the minimum wage, something over which county government has no control.
Bruno can appeal this decision or try to stage a write-in campaign. But that would require work, which is not her strong suit.
Bruno's petition was challenged by Ed Nelson, who was Upper Mount Tp Manager and was a strong advocate for Lou Pektor's Riverpointe, which has been controversial because it is being taxpayer subsidized and could include warehouses. Be that as it may, Amazon wants to build a data center, not a warehouse, at that site. That means lots of jobs in a municipality starving for real estate tax revenue. It could be that Bruno was viewed as an obstacle.
2) The Objector Must Belong to the Same Party as the Candidate Being Challenged. - Richard Cantwell in Stockertown challenged a candidate for Borough Council but belongs to another party. He had no standing.
3) An Elector Signing a Nomination Petition Can Use His Mailing Address Instead of the Precise Municipality. - Three Lower Saucon Council candidates were challenged by David Boulin because some electors wrote "Hellertown/LST" instead of listing the proper municipality. Judge Dally pointed out that a voter who signs a nomination petition can use his mailing address (so long as it's in the same district) or list the actual municipality. Many Lower Saucon Tp residents have Hellertown mailing addresses, and Boulin used this to invalidate ballot access to three candidates. During the hearing, my brother told me that Judge Dally advised Boulin that once he has dug himself a hole, he should stop. He didn't.
4) Lance Wheeler Denied Ballot Access for Easton City Council West Ward. - Once it became apparent that Wheeler failed to get the required 100 signatures, my brother reports he decided to withdraw and would instead mount a write-in campaign. According to several sources, he acted unprofessionally in a court where he once served as King Tipstaff, and in the hallway outside, made nasty remarks to Susan Eagle, who had challenged his petition. Her attorney had to escort her to her car.
Two years ago, Lance used a candidates' night on the south side to attack Mayor Sal Panto and told the voters he didn't care whether he got elected. He apparently still does not care.
NorCo Election Challenge Decisions by BernieOHare on Scribd
22 comments:
Welp Patti is off the ballot meaning Dems are effectively locked out of sweeping the council seats. Sorry Nadeem but even Dems won't vote for you or your horrible wife
Oh please, Bruno strikes no fear in anyone. This so-called professional campaign manager (a contradiction in terms) will have her woke squad attack somebody. Probably blame the Clerks or otherwise council members trying to dump her. She takes zero accountability of her own mistakes and overrates her importance.
Cozy Cakes and Lori Vargo Hafer did a great job knocking Patricia off the ballot. Not even the legendary Otter could save her !
Ed “Santa Claus” Nelson, Lori Vargo Heffner and Amy Cozze performed a public service by kicking Patti Bruno off the ballot. Patti styles herself a “professional campaign manager” and couldn’t even file her petitions properly. Thank you Ed, Lori and Amy !
As someone who looked for these orders yesterday and found that they were not in the system, it irritates me to no end that you seem to have them before they were available
7:35, That is because it often takes several days before a pleading or an order makes its way onto our computer system. The challenge itself did not appear on the system for several days after it was filed unless you searched by number.
I really do not know whether Cozze or LVH had anything to do with it, but its possible. Ed Nelson does not really follow county politics that closely. and I suspect he was acting on behalf of Lou Pektor, as I stated in my story. But this is all supposition on my part. It would be even more speculation to conclude that LVH or Amy Cozze wanted her out. I could see LVH bc Bruno told me that if LVH ran she would be running. There's a lot of guesswork and the campaign finance reports might provide some answers.
They already tried to blame everyone else
Don't be so sure. If what happened in Lancaster this week is any indication, the quality of the Democratic candidates will not matter this year. Nadeem will be swept in, Council will be 8-1, and Bruno will be appointed Controller in January.
I’m not sure if Cozze or LVH were behind this, but who cares? If Bruno would have followed the rules there wouldn’t be an issue. PB is the only one to blame here
I searched for these orders by number at at 415 pm they were not entered. Why do you get orders before the public? Strikes me as fishy, and also not due to any wrongdoing on your part.
I will add that the challenges appeared within minutes after fiking if you know where and how to look
As did the Orders.
Agreed.
@735am. It irritates you because an attorney can find them before you???? Who do you think you are????? The audacity of so many is mind blowing
Yes PB is the loser here and the entire NORCO is the winner. Thanks LVH and Amie C
Now the democratic election for commissioner is a done deal. The quality of the candidates leaves a little to be desired. Too bad you couldn't get NADEEM off also. I will only be voting for two Commissioner candidates on the Dem side. Nadeem isn't one of them.
Bernie O’Hare to reluctant Dem: which two have your support?
So, you scrub the posts about Cozze, and posts from from hitmen Barron and Kraft continue and, but you buy into the BS that LVH and Cozze "knocked off" Bruno from the ballot. Now that trash story is everywhere, and you helped push it. You claim to not be independent but want the truth, yet you are far from seeking the truth. As a favor to McClure, former executives are endorsing Zirinski when they know she is a nut job and should not be running County. The deal has always been that she will let Barron, Kraft and McClure run it. If she wins her primary, let us hope Giovanni wins or at least the republicans take council to keep the gang at bay.
5:37, I did scrub a comment that attacked Steve Barron and Ken Kraft for using social media to attack your "life partner" Ann. I did so for two reasons. First, I have no desire to get into Cozze's personal life. Second, I have no idea what Kraft does but know that Steve does not use social media to attack her and in fact admires her very much. From all accounts, she is a very nice person. You, not so much. Steve did use social media to counter a false Cozze claim that the county had done nothing to seek federal grants.
The notion that LVH and Cozze were behind the Bruno challenge is pure speculation on my part and was posted as a comment, not part of my story. I also made clear my comment was pure speculation on my part. I do know that Ed Nelson, a nice guy and supporter of the tax break for Lou Pektor's Riverpoint, might have been willing to act as a straw man for that challenge. Bruno has attacked LVH to quite a few people and bashed her with me. I also know the Council Clerk is in LVH's pocket and may have tipped her off about Nelson's failure to file the required SFI. I also know that Cozze has been chatty with Pektor and has met with him.
As I said at the time of my comment, the campaign finance reports will tell us who is likely behind that challenge. Whoever paid for that challenge will have to file an independent expenditure report is it is not reflected as a campaign contribution to a candidate. If I do not see one, I will ask the Registrar to request the DA to look into it.
Hi Anonymous. If I'm one of the two candidates for county commissioner you're planning to support, then I sincerely thank you for your vote. If I'm not, send me an email at jboulettePA@gmail.com and I'd love to have a conversation with you to try to earn your vote. Thanks!
Jason at 8:52 pm, There will likely be five Democrats (you, LVH, Dave Holland, Theresa Fadem and Nadeem Qayuum) against five Rs who include two sitting Council members, an immigrant restauranteur, an immigrant commercial pilot and a police officer. The Rs have a very good team. You've got Nadeem, who thinks the county can enact a new minimum wage. you've got Fadem, who thinks it's a positive that she's uneducated. You've got Dave Holland, who is impeccably talented but has done a very poor job of reaching out to people. You yourself are from Wind Gap and have no presence in the county's Democratic strongholds and will get trounced in the slate belt. On top of that, the election in Easton and Bethlehem will be over once the primary is over. I suspect you and Lori are the only two who have a shot.
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