Valerie Bailey, ordered off the May ballot yesterday in her attempt to run against Circuit Judge Tim Fox, says she won’t attempt to appeal the order to get on the ballot. But she does promise an appeal of a legal point.
She sent this statement:
My opponent has succeeded in eliminating his competition on the ballot prior to a vote of the People. I will not file a Stay to continue my campaign for circuit judge.
However, I will certainly appeal yesterday’s decision to correct and protect my own record and because Judge Cole’s decision to issue a Writ of Mandamus is contrary to all law on the matter.
The gifts from the Perronis and my father were regular campaign contributions.
Bailey was ruled off the ballot yesterday by Judge John Cole. He said she hadn’t been a licensed lawyer for the required six years preceding the election because her license, obtained in 1999, was in suspension for a number of years while she stopped practice to tend to home duties. She contends she was licensed, if suspended.
I also reported on $5,000 in gifts she’d reported on her statement of financial interest, including $2,000 each from lawyer Sam Perroni and his wife. Campaign contributions typically are reported on campaign finance statements, not on the SFI. I was interested in Perroni because he’s harbored a grudge for more than a decade against Fox over a legal disagreement.
She explained in response to my question on where the money was reported:
This was my first report, and thought gifts were contributions. The contributions have to be reported April 15. I hadn’t gotten that far. So, to early-report, I included them there.
