Judge denies Sciortino’s bid to appear on ballot

Sciortino lawyer: Nomination papers were stolen
By George P. Hassett

State Rep. Carl Sciortino says he noticed his nomination papers were missing on May 6. And after he spent the next week, including one entire day, searching without success for the elusive documents, his lawyer is arguing they were stolen from his State House office.

The twelve missing papers – which included 72 signatures from residents in his district – left Sciortino 36 signatures shy of the required 150 he needs to appear on the ballot for the Sept. 16 Democratic primary. On Friday, Judge Linda Giles denied Sciortino’s request to have his name placed on the ballot despite the shortage.
“The court is not unsympathetic to the plight of Sciortino, the apparent victim of innocent, very human inadvertence. Nevertheless, the duty to keep one’s important nomination papers safe and reproduced photostatically is not onerous,” Giles wrote in her decision.
In court, Sciortino’s lawyer Ed Colbert said Sciortino had 186 signatures certified by Medford and Somerville officials. But before Sciortino could submit them to the Secretary of State, Colbert said, the papers had been stolen.
However, Giles was skeptical. “The papers are missing,” she said. “We don’t have any information other than that they were on [Sciortino’s] desk and now they are not – either by negligence or intent.”
Sciortino reported the papers missing to the State Police on May 19, almost two weeks after he first noticed they were gone. According to the police report, Sciortino said his office is usually unlocked.
In an interview with The Somerville News, Sciortino said he would take further legal action to try and have his name placed on the ballot. His opponent, Ward Seven Alderman Bob Trane, submitted the necessary paperwork to the Secretary of State’s Office and will appear on the Sept. 16 ballot.
If Sciortino is forced to run a write-in campaign against Trane, it would be the second time in four years that such a campaign was mounted in the 34th Middlesex District. After Sciortino upset incumbent Vincent Ciampa in the Democratic primary for the seat in 2004, Ciampa ran an unsuccessful write in campaign during the general election.
On Friday, Sciortino said Trane was “trying to keep me off the ballot despite the fact that I have enough signatures.”
Trane’s attorney Bill McDermott appeared in court Friday to intervene in the case and oppose Sciortino’s request to appear on the ballot. The Secretary of State’s Office also opposed Sciortino’s request.
“People who lose papers ought not to be able to come into a system and say ‘I want to get on the ballot,’” McDermott said.
Ward One Alderman Bill Roche, a supporter of Trane’s, was more direct. “It sounds like he is using the dog ate my homework excuse,” Roche said.
The signatures were discovered to be lost almost exactly two years to the day after another costly Somerville disappearance. On May 8, 2006 two police officers assigned to clean up the department’s evidence room threw away a desk drawer containing $31,535 in cash seized from drug suspects. Sciortino’s blunder could wind up being even more pricey: if his name does not appear on the ballot and he loses his seat, he will have lost a $55,000 a year job.
 

Comments

[The Blame Game]

This is so typical of young, liberal politicians. No personal responsibility. It's always someone else's fault. And everything needs to be fixed by the court. In my opinion, regardless of whether you agree with Sciortino's politics or not, he didn't submit his papers and that's the end of the story. I think that the statments he has reportedly made regarding theft, and naming Bob Trane specifically, border on libel. By the way, who was paying Carl's salary during those entire days he spent searching for the papers......you guess it - we did!!

[BLAMETASTIC]

Maybe it's ... THE REVENGE OF CIAMPA!

WRITE-IN CAMPAIGNS FOR ALL!

[No way]

Blame game is right - Carl has behaved disgracefully throughout this episode. Alluding that Bob Trane stole his nomination papers is slander - and Carl should be ashamed of himself.

He alone - not Trane, not the Secretary of State - and not even his dog - is to blame for this. Grow up Carl and start taking responsibility for your actions.

[highlander]

He reports them stolen two weeks after they go missing and then he files a police report that they are stolen. I am gald the Judge saw this for what it was.

Will he be charged with filing a false police report?

[Prince Carl no More]

A simplistic process Prince Carl screws up.
Ooooh boy, are we lucky this was not an important piece of legislation he was trying to pass. I can see him now "But Mista Speakah, it was stolen. We do not need documentation, the real people may want to read it, and then I can not take care of my special interest groups" Do we really want this guy to repesent us in the state house???

[Tricky]

Smoke must be coming out of Boss Hogg's ears, trying to figure out how he's going to get a piece and a half of the new Mashantucket/Pequot Good Times Casino over the Green Line Maintenance facility at Yard 8.

Cambriville News take note. I smell something good cookin' up in the kitchen today...

[no stickers]

I am pleased to hear the judges opinion on this case. I believe Sciortino, or staffer, was negligent in this matter and is finger pointing to make a silly argument. I am not a progressive or supporter but respect the way Carl handled bussiness during his four years in office. His behavior (playing the blame game)has tarnished any respect I had for him. He should not wage a sticker campaign because it is impossible for him to win, unless Trane has been convicted of some felonies not yet know to the public. Thanks for the dedicated service but you are leaving office without dignity.

PS

I recall the Sciortino campaign asserting that Vinnie Ciampa was a career politician and needed to leave office. Stop this charade and prove to the people that you are not what you accused Vinnie Ciampa of being, "a career politician."

[Tricky]

Cambriville News article forthcoming this evening, hopefully. I'm still trying to get quotes from Danish Pastry House baristas and Bill Roche's dog.

- - - - - -

Question for Ron: how many votes would Sciortino need as a write-in for a third party to qualify for the general election in the fall?

Let's say the Green Party drafts Carl, and run a write-in campaign to get him on the (printed) ballot in the general election as a Green. How many die-hard Carlitos would need to turn out and vote? (Keeping in mind they may have to re-register as Greens, or independents?)

Just wondering, before Bob Trane fills out the rest of his State House staff...

[Ron Newman]

How to Run for Office as a Sticker or Write-in Candidate

"To be nominated in a primary if no candidate’s name is printed on the ballot you must receive a number of write-in votes at least equal to the number of signatures which would have been required on nomination papers to place your name on the ballot for that primary. Of course, you must also receive more votes than any other candidate for the nomination. If you win the primary, you must file a written acceptance of the nomination within six days after a local primary with the city or town clerk and within thirteen days after a state primary with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. For a state primary, you must also file a receipt from the State Ethics Commission showing that you have filed a statement of financial interest. "

So that means 150 votes. It's not clear to me whether the write-in candidate is required to be registered as a member of that party (and if so, for how long).