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too late to challenge at the state level, but
Woman says she didn't support candidacy of accused sex offender running for
GOP office
Andrew Scott
Pocono Record Writer
April 07, 2006
Your signature might be forged as a supporter
on a political candidate's petition, and you likely would have no way of knowing. Such petitions usually aren't publicized,
and the Monroe County Voter Registration Office says it's too time-consuming to verify the legitimacy of each and every signature
unless someone challenges a particular John Hancock. The Monroe County District Attorney's Office is looking into an
allegation by Penn State student Sarah Trentacoste of Pocono Summit, who says she discovered her forged signature Tuesday
on Republican state committeeman John R. Curtin's petition. Curtin, who is seeking re-election, submitted his 242-signature
petition March 7 to the Voter Registration Office...
If someone is prosecuted and convicted of forging petition signatures, the maximum penalty is a $500 fine and/or a year
in county jail, according to the state Elections Code...
More...
By Alison Hawkes, For the Herald-Standard
03/15/2006
HARRISBURG - A total of 76 candidates in this year's state legislative races are being challenged in Commonwealth
Court for faulty petition signatures, according to the state elections agency.
Tuesday's deadline for filing objections to candidates' petitions also revealed a challenge by a Bensalem
Democratic voter against Patrick Murphy, a Democratic candidate for the 8th district U.S. congressional seat, currently held
by Michael Fitzpatrick. Additionally, John Featherman who's running against U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in the Republican primary
is under challenge...
More...
NEW
By Amy Zalar, Herald-Standard
03/23/2006
Embattled State House of Representatives candidate Michael J. Cavanagh has withdrawn his name from
consideration for the Democratic nomination in the 51st District.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of State Web site, Cavanagh withdrew from the race Tuesday.
Cavanagh, 33, of Uniontown was one of four Democrats seeking the nomination in the May 16 primary for the seat currently held
by state Rep. Larry Roberts (D-South Union), who is not seeking re-election to a seventh term.
Cavanagh did not return
a call seeking comment.
Although Cavanagh filed nomination papers to run, his candidacy was being challenged. Last week Phillip
Michael of Uniontown filed a challenge to Cavanagh's nominating papers, citing a 2001 conviction for auto insurance fraud,
forgery and other related charges. Michael, through attorney Kenneth B. Burkley, has alleged that those crimes are "infamous."
Cavanagh
was previously thrown off the ballot in 2004 for his criminal record when he filed to run as an independent for Roberts' seat.
He has maintained his innocence as well as the contention that he was convicted of an infamous crime.
Anyone convicted
of an infamous crime "... shall (not) be eligible to the General Assembly, or capable of holding any office of trust or profit
in this Commonwealth," according to the state constitution.
The word "infamous" has never been defined, Cavanagh previously
said, and courts should not be able to arbitrarily decide what does and does not fit that distinction. Just last week Cavanagh
said he would fight to remain on the primary ballot.
With his withdrawal, a hearing scheduled for Monday in Pittsburgh
will not be held...
Update Cavanagh withdrew from the race.
Drops candidacy Thursday, March 23, 2006
A local legislative candidate whose nominating petition was being challenged in Commonwealth
Court has withdrawn from the primary.
Michael J. Cavanagh, of Uniontown, Fayette County, dropped his candidacy before Wednesday's deadline, according to the
Pennsylvania Department of State.
A hearing on Cavanagh's candidacy for the 51st District was scheduled for next week.
More... Three candidates drop out of race
By By Chris Foreman TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Three of four local legislative candidates whose nominating petitions were being challenged
in Commonwealth Court have withdrawn from the 2006 primary.
William H. Ehman, of Derry, Brian Blasko, of North Huntingdon Township, and Michael J. Cavanagh, of Uniontown, Fayette
County, dropped their candidacies before Wednesday's deadline, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.
More...
The story of Cavanagh's attempt to seek the Democrat nomination for the vacated 51st legislative District seat of Rep.
Roberts is one which should be watched closely, particularly in view of the specific contention (according to the article)
by the challenger to Cavanagh's candidacy that it was "clear from the nomination petitions
that all signatures and other required information on the nomination petitions were signed and completed by the same person
and not by the alleged 300 persons named as qualified electors."
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 By James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In the face of a challenge to his nominating petitions, state Rep. Michael Diven, R-Brookline,
yesterday officially withdrew from the Republican ballot in the May 16 primary...
Storm of challenges precedes May primary election
Thursday, March 16, 2006 By Tracie Mauriello, Post-Gazette Harrisburg BureauHARRISBURG -- The
race to get on the May primary ballot is turning into a roller derby with candidates maneuvering in court to throw competitors
off the ballot.
One House candidate, Michael Cavanagh of Uniontown, sees the court challenges as cowardly attempts to gain political advantage
and take choices away from voters. Mr. Cavanagh is one of 12 candidates from southwestern Pennsylvania whose candidacy has
been challenged.
Mr. Cavanagh's candidacy is under attack because he was convicted of insurance fraud in 2004. The state constitution prohibits
people from holding office if they've been convicted of "embezzling public money, bribery, perjury or other infamous crimes."
Mr. Cavanagh, whose case is on appeal, said he is innocent and that, in any case, insurance fraud isn't "infamous."
Most of the other filings challenge signatures, residency and paperwork. Candidates must collect 300 signatures from party
members in their district and must live in the district for one year before the election.
Rep. Michael Diven, R-Brookline, is being challenged because six of the 614 signatures on his petition allegedly belong
to dead people. Campaign worker Debora Romaniello collected the six signatures and three Pittsburghers who filed the court
challenge say all 183 signatures she gathered should be disqualified.
Mr. Diven said someone signed the deceased people's names without Ms. Romaniello's knowledge.
More
Actually, a similar incident to dead people's names being used occured in Jim Condit candidacy a few years back...
Cavanagh petitions challenged in court
By Chris Foreman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
The nominating petitions of Michael Cavanagh were challenged in Commonwealth Court on Tuesday as a Fayette County
voter who contended Cavanagh's criminal conviction for auto insurance fraud disqualifies him from running for the 51st Legislative
District.
The filing by Philip J. Michael, of South Union Township, is the second legal challenge
to a Cavanagh campaign in the past two years by a supporter of former county jury commissioner Tim Mahoney.
Both the Commonwealth and state Supreme courts upheld the last objection, ruling
in 2004 that Cavanagh's conviction three years earlier prevented him from running as an independent in the general election.
Cavanagh, 33, a Democrat from Uniontown, continues to appeal the conviction and believes the courts misinterpreted the state
constitution.
Michael's attorney, Kenneth B. Burkley, also represented the last registered voter
who disputed Cavanagh's nominating papers, Robert Bowers, of Hopwood, South Union. ...
Burkley, of Greensburg, said the filing also questions the legitimacy of more than
100 signatures on Cavanagh's nominating petitions.
"Unlike most people, he's already been determined ineligible to hold this exact
office," Burkley said. ...
03/12/2006 The Herald Standard 2006
In response to Friday's "Wows & Scowls," I am Michael J. Cavanagh
and I take exception to your characterization of a citizen exercising my right of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
as perplexing! The people of Fayette County should never have their choices taken away, as to who they can vote for.
You must subscribe to a communist's or dictatorship's philosophy
of the election process. They will tell you who will be on the ballot, like it or not.
believe anyone that meets the age requirements to run for public
office should be able to run! The truth is that our government continues to erode our rights granted by our state and federal
constitutions.
As to my case in court, the people of Fayette County know my prosecution was all politics, I never frauded
anyone for one red cent! Furthermore, the state constitution was not followed by the Commonwealth Court state judge, when
I was removed from the ballot. They didn't follow the Constitution on the pay raise, either! Is that any surprise to us the
taxpayers?
It is also no secret that Mr. Tim Mahoney subscribes to the (communist/dictatorship) philosophy of removing
our choices from the ballot. We should remember that Mahoney removed his only competition in the jury commissioner's race,
Mildred Haggerty. He cried foul when state Rep. Larry Roberts removed him from the ballot, and he did this same thing to me
in 2004.
What is Mahoney afraid of? He should move to Iran where his ideas would be embraced!
The people of
Fayette County need to know these facts when biased editors write stuff in the paper. The people don't like to have their
choices taken away!
This is the dirty side of politics and why good people don't like to get involved in the political
process, and that is truly unfortunate for all of us.
Mr. Sunyak, you also like to lavish praise on the candidates
that took on the incumbents while they were still in office.
Remember this: in 1998 I did take on Larry Roberts before
any of these Timmy-come-lately types arrived on the scene.
You seem to have conveniently lost this factoid.
Lastly,
you speak of reality and fantasyland; Mr. Sunyak you regularly write fantastical stories about politicians that don't exist.
Since you seem to enjoy flight of fancy and fiction, I would suggest you read "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." I myself
am a fan of non-fiction, and it is you that need the reality check!
Michael J. Cavanagh Uniontown
Added: Monday March 13, 2006 at 12:09 AM EST
Cavanagh is right, wrong
I really have no use for this Cavanagh or the other one, but what
some of what he is saying is true.
I don't like to see people removed from the ballot either and
think that most people who go to court to have opponents removed don't do so out of concern for our electoral process. However,
candidates can't be removed from the ballot without committing legal violations.
It troubles me that Mike refers to our rights as being granted
by our Constitutions when they are not.
The rights we enjoy as Americans, life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness are not granted by our Constitutions. They are granted by God. Our Constitutions were written by our founding
fathers to protect those rights from government infringement.
Brian Lutes, North Union Twp., Fayette Co., PA
ŠThe Herald Standard 2006
Scowl:While it's a good
thing that many candidates filed for the available house seats whose districts span Fayette and Greene counties, it's perplexing
to see that Michael J. Cavanagh has thrown his hat into the ring (again)as a Democratic
candidate in the 51st Legislative District. Cavanagh was removed from the primary election two years ago on a legal challenge
to his eligibility arising from his conviction on automobile insurance fraud. What makes him think that won't happen again,
or that he'll fare better in court this time around if it does?There's a not-so-fine
line between reality and Fantasyland. We prefer to live in the former, not the latter.
Posted by: genuinejake on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 10:45 PM |
Pennsylvania's requirement that buyers provide a Social Security number to purchase a gun or obtain a concealed-weapons permit was struck
down yesterday by a federal judge.
The state law violated the federal Privacy Act, U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez ruled.
"This issue has
been largely overlooked in Pennsylvania and other states for a long time," said lawyer J. Dwight Yoder, who brought the case
on behalf of a retired U.S. Army officer from Lancaster. "This ruling is about privacy, not guns. We weren't looking to circumvent gun laws."
Lawyers for the Pennsylvania
State Police are reviewing the decision and considering an appeal, spokesman Jack Lewis said. By requiring applicants to provide
Social Security numbers, Lewis said, his agency "simply has followed the requirements of the state's Uniform Firearms Act."
The
wider impact of yesterday's ruling - whether, for example, other Pennsylvania Social Security requirements would be deemed
invalid - was uncertain...
More...
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