After several close calls, Republican Walter Griffith is officially on the May 16 primary election ballot in the Luzerne County controller’s race.

Former county councilman Rick Morelli said Monday he is not continuing his legal challenge contesting Griffith’s nomination petition signatures or his eligibility to serve in the post due to a past criminal offense involving wiretapping.

“I don’t want to be the bad guy holding up the election process,” Morelli said.

Griffith survived Morelli’s initial petition signature challenge, when county Judge William H. Amesbury concluded in March that the Kingston Township resident had 251 signatures, or one more than required.

The judge later agreed to Morelli’s request to remove two more signatures, which would have brought the count below the required threshold. However, Griffith successfully pointed out the election office already had deducted two signatures when he submitted his petition, bringing the count back up to 251.

Griffith said the challenge set him back and confused voters, including some who asked him as late as Sunday if he was on or off the ballot.

“This challenge has consumed a lot of my time and really put me at a disadvantage,” said Griffith, who plans to make last-minute campaign advertising arrangements now that he’s certain Morelli won’t appeal.

Amesbury also ruled that Griffith is eligible to serve in the post under the state constitution, which says people convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, perjury or other “infamous crimes” are barred from holding public office.

Griffith pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of obstructing the administration of law for illegally recording three conversations in 2010 and 2011 when he previously served as county controller. Morelli had unsuccessfully argued Griffith’s offense fell into the “infamous crime” category, and he withdrew plans to appeal Amesbury’s ruling to Commonwealth Court.

Morelli said the petition challenge was an “unfortunate experience” because he found several more signatures on Griffith’s petition that were from Democrats instead of Republicans as required, but the signatures were counted because Morelli did not expressly identify party registration as an issue on his initial petition.

He also was frustrated that his reconsideration request to drop two more signatures was granted, only to learn two would be added back because the initial count was off.

In response, the county election office has agreed to review changes to ensure both candidates and the people reviewing their petitions are clear on how many signatures were voided by the election office.

State legislators also should review the petition process and either clarify requirements or end petitions altogether so candidates are not “going through the motions” and obtaining cushions of extra signatures to survive challenges that tie up court resources, he said.

“Hopefully this experience will open eyes and make the process better and more accurate,” he said.

Griffith also has been calling for a revamping of the petition process, saying candidates and the public need a clear explanation on what can and can’t be challenged.

“It should not be such a cumbersome process because challenges put a burden on the election office and court,” he said.

Griffith is running unopposed in the primary. Incumbent Controller Michelle Bednar is running without competition on the Democratic side.

Griffith
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Walter-1.jpg.optimal.jpgGriffith

Morelli
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_morelli-1.jpg.optimal.jpgMorelli

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.