A paperwork misstep just put Republican attorney general hopeful Michael Walsh back in the game. On Friday, a Superior Court judge reinstated Walsh to the September primary ballot, overturning a State Ballot Law Commission decision that had knocked him off over what officials said were likely forged signatures. Judge Jeffrey T. Karp ruled that procedural errors in how the fraud objection was served meant the commission could not act on it, even though the record contained what he described as substantial evidence of signature irregularities.
What the judge found
In a 14-page ruling, Karp wrote that the commission "lacked jurisdiction" to hear the original objection because it was not served by registered or certified mail, as required under state law. That defect, he said, left him obligated to restore Walsh's name to the ballot despite the commission's earlier findings, according to The Boston Globe.
How the commission reached its decision
The State Ballot Law Commission had tossed out more than 1,000 signatures from each campaign, leaving Walsh and Republican lieutenant governor hopeful Anne Manning Martin short of the 10,000-signature threshold needed to make the primary ballot. The panel tied that finding to identical signature patterns and other forensic concerns, and ultimately voted to remove both candidates from the ballot, as reported by Boston.com.
Allegations point to a paid collector
Court filings and the commission's report focus on paid signature gatherer Joseph Bronske, whose work for multiple campaigns produced matching orders and handwriting patterns in communities such as Weymouth. Local reporting and legal records say Bronske repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right during depositions, and several voters told investigators they never signed the nomination sheets that carried their names, according to Lynnfield Weekly News.
Legal fight moves quickly
Walsh has taken the fight to state court, appealing the commission's ruling and pressing for emergency relief, with his campaign filing requests for extraordinary review as the calendar for printing and mailing ballots tightens. The campaign's emergency application and related briefs are on file with higher courts, and the secretary of state's office asked the court for a final decision by July 14 so clerks can prepare ballots and send absentee ballots to overseas and military voters by July 18, according to court documents.
What's next
Karp has not yet ruled in the separate case involving Anne Manning Martin, who for now remains off the ballot while her appeal moves through the courts. With ballots about to be finalized for overseas and military voters, the next several days will determine whether the commission's fraud findings or the judge's procedural ruling ultimately decides who appears on the Republican primary ballot this September, as outlined by Boston.com.
