On Monday, the Judge of Montgomery’s County ordered to the President of the Management Board of the Lower Merion school, removed from the main vote, after a member of the community questioned her not to answer questions about financial disclosures.
In her nomination petition – required by candidates for the selected office – Kerry Sautner did not answer some obligatory questions, including whether she received any gifts worth over USD 250, had any office, director or employment in any company, or had interests in any legal entity in profit business.
Although she had a chance to make a corrected petition, she still had mistakes, said Christian Petrucci, a lawyer representing a member of the community who challenged.
For example, Sautner is the president and general director of the Eastern State Prison, who rents property from Philadelphia. Petrucci said, however, that she left a void about the interests of real estate related to the political subordinates of the community of nations.
The purpose of the questions regarding the disclosure of information is “voter to make sure that there is no conflict of interest or financial, cash profit,” said Petrucci. He said that the judge gave Sautner, “every possible opportunity to spend time with disclosure and properly fill him.”
Sautner, who was approved for re -election by the Local Democratic Party, said that party lawyers reviewed the order from the Montgomery universal judge, Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio and deciding about the “next step”.
“I am fully transparent and I do everything in good faith with the courts,” said Sautner.
In the application for reconsideration on Tuesday, Sautner’s lawyer, Robert Paul – vice -chairman of the Lower Merion and Narberth Democratic Committee – said that the lease of Philadelphia was “irrelevant” because “no one claims that he is the owner of the eastern state and is obvious.”
He also said that Sautner, who revealed her personal debts, was not obliged to disclose her spouse’s debts.
Four of the nine fines of the Merion board are ready to choose this year; Current board members were elected Democrats.
Petrucci, secretary of the Lower Merion and Narberth Republican Committee, said that “by accident” he was a republican.
The challenge for the Sautner’s nomination petition was made by Harshal Dear, a registered democrat Who said that he was a regional parent and considered the candidate for school councils. But election officials told her that as a federal employee she could not look for a guerrilla office-even that she wanted five, appearing in both democratic and republican voting cards.
Roads said that she feels that the school councils in Pennsylvania have become “too political. They are trying to push the political program.” When asked what program the Merion’s Lower School Board is wearing, Honey did not take any specific objections, but she said that she thinks that the management is not “located” enough.
Each voter can question the nomination petition, and the judges of the county listen to the challenges against the finalization of voting. This year is May 20.
A road who also challenged three other candidates for the Democratic Council – including the current Anna Shurak – said that “the current atmosphere of national political elections … filtered into local policy.” She said that she was not focused on individual candidates, but she objected to the process of supporting the Democratic Party and said that people should not “blindly vote in the party line.”
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While the road withdrew two petitions, she put a similar opposition to Shurak, citing incomplete financial disclosures.
“They were already on the board. They are not the first timers who did not know how to fill out the form,” said Dear, an activist from National organization focused on the reform of family courts. “Why should we vote for you if you try to hide very important information, voters should know?”
Shurak also had time to change her petition; According to Petrucci, the judge did not rule on this challenge, who said he represented the pro bono.
Paul, who also represents Shurak, refused to comment after reaching the phone on Monday. He did not answer further questions about their changed petitions.
Jeff Scott, chairman of the Democratic Committee, said that “the term on the board does not change the complexity of the petition process, which is often associated with nuances.”
The Democratic Committee supported four candidates, including Sautner and Shurak; There are five other democratic candidates on the vote. (Four of the remaining five are transmitted on the cross as Republicans; none of the candidates approved by the Democratic Party is transmitted on the cross).
“We just judge it,” said Scott, in response to the question whether the party supports another candidate. “At the moment, making all decisions in this matter is premature.”
