The quiet announcement late Friday evening released by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, has been anything but quiet. Citizens all over Ohio were immediately up in arms in both of the races affected.
First to chime in was Steve Christopher, running in the highly charged Attorney General primary for the Republican Party. Christopher was the second offering to come up against Party Favorite Mike DeWine. Just as Christopher’s campaign appeared to have the positional to upset DeWine in an election mirroring Scott Brown’s big win in Massachusetts, Bruuner’s announcement hit the media by storm.
Brunner announced Christopher was disqualified and indicated had not even turned in enough signatures to meet the minimum requirement of 1000. While Brunner’s press release indicated only 770 have been turned in, the real number was 2750! Within hours, Christopher’s campaign released a receipt stamped by an elections official at the Secretary of State’s office attesting that 2750 had been received directly contradicting the press release. To make matters worse, when Brunner’s office was confuted they stood by the claim of 770 even in the face of proof from their own office!
Many people in Ohio are continuing to cry foul, as Brunner had also disqualified several candidates in the very same Democratic primary for an open US Senate Seat she is on the ballot for. The Columbus Dispatch reported today: “Democrat Traci “TJ” Johnson alleges foul play and conflict of interest by Brunner, whose office certified 834 of the nearly 2,000 signatures Johnson submitted — 166 short of qualification for the ballot.”
Rumors are now floating around the Columbus that members of the State Senate are preparing to open an investigation into the Office of Secretary of State. Calls for large public protests in front of Brunner’s office in true TEA Party fashion are everywhere. This combined with the potential for several high profile law suites, the answer seems clear. Jennifer Brunner needs to retract her statements and certify these candidates soon. With every day that passes, she brings more shame to the office she was entrusted by the people of Ohio to serve and places at risks the very future of her own political career.
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