As Larry Elder promised Monday, the syndicated columnist, conservative talk radio host, and author-turned-presumptive-California-gubernatorial-recall-election-candidate has “filed suit against California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber to protect his right to be a candidate in the special recall election scheduled for September 14, 2021.”
The Elder for Governor campaign seeks the immediate legal relief of Elder’s name being added to the final recall candidate list in the 26-page suit, which contends:
- According to state law, Secretary Weber has the authority, if not the duty, to “fix” any redaction errors for the public. She did not. Instead, her office spent the past weekend talking to one reporter after another, rather than notifying Elder of its decision. It was not until Sunday evening that her office sent a formal notification to the Elder campaign.
- Secretary Weber’s office still has not informed the Elder for Governor campaign of its specific objections to the filing of his tax returns.
- The Elder for Governor campaign filed every piece of paper required by the secretary of state’s office to be listed as a candidate in the recall election.
- The decision to disqualify Elder violates the constitutional rights of California voters who support him. By denying them the ability to vote for their candidate of choice, Secretary Weber is effectively engaging in voter suppression.
- The decision to disqualify Elder violates the equal protection clause of Art. I, § 7, of the California Constitution. Governor, and candidate, Gavin Newsom did not have to comply with the same tax return disclosures.
Read the complete lawsuit here.
“I provided all tax returns as required, totaling over 300 pages,” Elder, an attorney, added. “Frankly, this action by the secretary of state is not simply unfair and absurd but a dangerous and unconstitutional precedent.”
Related: California Recall Candidate Names Released. Where’s Larry Elder?
The Elder campaign has garnered support from Republicans in the state such as Betty Chu, the former Monterey Park mayor and two-term city council member, who also filed suit today against Weber to protect her right to vote for Elder in the special gubernatorial recall election:
“This is the first time that I have ever felt voter suppression personally.” Statement from private citizen and former mayor Betty Chu, who also filed a lawsuit against CA SoS to place my name on the recall ballot.https://t.co/mnvU6rOkTD pic.twitter.com/20cJaWn1Ge
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) July 20, 2021
“We’ve complied with everything the secretary of state has required of us,” said Elder. “The politicians in Sacramento know I’m the only candidate who can beat Gavin Newsom. They are afraid, and they are using whatever shenanigans they can to try to trip me up. It won’t work.”
“I am waging a legal battle to run as the candidate for Californians who are tired of the partisanship and entrenched interests of Sacramento. I fully expect to be on the final certified list of candidates,” said Elder.
The final certified candidate list is set to be officially released on Wednesday by Weber, a Democrat.
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