Detroit City Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero is taking legal action after being disqualified from the August primary ballot, a battle over a disputed $250 late filing fee. Santiago-Romero, who serves District 6, has filed a lawsuit against Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey and the Detroit Election Commission, according to reports by CBS News Detroit and the Detroit Free Press. The councilwoman claims she was unfairly disqualified due to a clerical error at the Wayne County Clerk’s Office, which resulted in a misplaced late fee for her campaign finance report.
Addressing her predicament, Santiago-Romero spoke about the disqualification, "I'm here to say my report was filed on time and we owe no late fee," she said, as per CBS News Detroit. Her campaign is arguing that despite timely filing the required report on October 25, 2024, a misclassification of the document by the Wayne County Clerk’s Office led to the wrongful late fee. Subsequently, this fee became the basis for her ballot disqualification, a scenario she described as "a candidate's worst nightmare."
The legal documentation asserts that Santiago-Romero's campaign adhered to proper procedures. Records from her team suggest an email confirmation backs the claim of an on-time report filed on October 25, 2024, but due to be mistake in filing under "pre-general" rather than "quarterly," an entirely different requirement was misunderstood by the clerk's office. The lawsuit further highlights procedural discrepancies, stating Wayne County did not notify Santiago-Romero of the late notice by registered mail within four business days, which is mandatory by state law, as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
While the legal process unfolded, Santiago-Romero announced she would not step back but instead embark on a write-in campaign. "We’re still running, and I’m going to need everyone’s help to make sure that we run a strong write-in people’s campaign," Santiago-Romero told ClickOnDetroit.
