More lawsuits in GOP chairmanship struggle

This just in via email:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FROM: Lucas County Republican Party Central Committee

HOAG FILES SUIT IN OHIO SUPREME COURT TO FORCE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO REMOVE 52 CANDIDATES FROM BALLOT
Seeking a Writ of Prohibition to the Lucas County Board of Elections for Candidates not Eligible to Appear on May Ballot


Paul Hoag, LCRP Central Committee Chairman, today filed an original action in the Ohio Supreme Court seeking a Writ of Prohibition to the Lucas County Board of Elections that would establish that 52 candidates for the position of member of the Lucas County Republican Party Central Committee are not eligible to appear on the ballot because of their misrepresentations to voters.

The issue presented to the Court is whether it is legitimate for a candidate to commit fraud on their declaration of candidacy, and state they are registered to vote so long as there may be intent to subsequently act to become a qualified elector, at some time in the future.

“The Lucas County Board of Elections has ruled that it’s acceptable to lie today, so long as you’re going to correct it tomorrow”, said Paul Hoag.

“That ruling is directly contrary to prior decisions of the Supreme Court in the Higgins case”, Hoag continued, “ and the public policy of assuring the electorate that they can rely upon the truth of representations made by candidates in their declarations of candidacy.”

The case was brought under the Court's procedures for expedited election cases and should be decided in a few weeks.

Details of the case can be found here.

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