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Legal challenge seeks to prevent RFK Jr. from appearing on Pennsylvania's presidential ballot

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Legal challenge seeks to prevent RFK Jr. from appearing on Pennsylvania's presidential ballot
News

News

Legal challenge seeks to prevent RFK Jr. from appearing on Pennsylvania's presidential ballot

2024-08-09 09:07 Last Updated At:09:10

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A legal challenge filed Thursday seeks to have third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. kept off Pennsylvania's fall ballot, an effort with ramifications for the hotly contested swing-state battle between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

The petition argues the nominating papers filed by Kennedy and his running mate “demonstrate, at best, a fundamental disregard” of state law and the process by which signatures are gathered.

It claims Kennedy's paperwork includes “numerous ineligible signatures and defects" and that documents are torn, taped over and contain “handwriting patterns and corrections suggestive that the indicated voters did not sign those sheets.”

Kennedy faces legal challenges over ballot access in several states.

Kennedy campaign lawyer Larry Otter said he was confident his client will end up on the Pennsylvania ballot.

The lawyer who filed the legal action, Otter said, “makes specious allegations and is obviously not familiar with the process of amending a circulator's affidavit, which seems to be the gist of his complaint.”

It is unclear how Kennedy's independent candidacy might affect the presidential race. He is a member of a renowned Democratic family and has drawn support from conservatives who agree with his positions against vaccination.

Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes and closely divided electorate put it at the center of the Nov. 5 presidential contest, now three months away. In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and four years later President Joe Biden beat Trump by 81,000 votes.

Two separate challenges were also filed in Pennsylvania on Thursday to the nominating papers for the Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz, and an effort was filed seeking to have Constitution Party presidential candidate James N. Clymer kept of the state's ballot as well.

One challenge to De la Cruz, her running mate and her party's electors asks Commonwealth Court to invalidate the nomination papers, arguing that there are seven electors who “failed to disaffiliate” from the Democratic Party, a flaw in the paperwork the objectors say should make them ineligible.

A second challenge also raised that argument as well as claims there are ineligible signatures and other defects that make the nomination papers “fatally defective" and that the party did not submit a sufficient number of qualifying signatures.

Del la Cruz campaign Pennsylvania chairperson Stephanie Pavlick said in an emailed statement that hundreds of people spent months collecting nomination signatures, and the campaign “will be defending the validity of everything we submitted.”

Pavlick said Democrats “are afraid of competing with a socialist campaign that isn’t afraid to call for radical solutions to the dire crises facing working people.”

The challenge to Clymer potentially appearing on the ballot claims he and his running mate should be disqualified because of an alleged failure to include required candidate affidavits. Messages seeking comment were left Thursday for party chairman Bob Goodrich.

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2019 file photo, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. attends the 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2019 file photo, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. attends the 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees agreed Saturday to a $12.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Goldschmidt would become the Yankees' fourth significant addition since Juan Soto's departure for the New York Mets after left-hander Max Fried, closer Devin Williams and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Goldschmidt's addition likely means Bellinger will be primarily an outfielder.

The Yankees still may be looking for a third baseman along with left-handed relievers: There are no lefty relievers on their 40-man roster.

A seven-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and the 2022 NL MVP, the right-handed Goldschmidt joins fellow MVPs Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Bellinger on the Yankees. Goldschmidt became a free agent after completing a $130 million, five-year contract with St. Louis.

He spent his first eight seasons with Arizona and his last six with the Cardinals, slumping to a career-low .245 average last season with 22 homers and 65 RBIs. He revived his numbers late in the season, batting .283 with seven homers and 25 RBIs from July 28 on.

Goldschmidt hit .295 with five homers, 16 RBIs and a .839 OPS in 167 plate appearances against left-handers this year and .230 with 17 homers, 49 RBIs and a .675 OPS in 487 plate appearances against righties.

He is a .289 career hitter with 362 homers and 1,187 RBIs for the Diamondbacks (2011-18) and Cardinals (2019-24). Goldschmidt batted .317 with 35 homers, 115 RBIs and a .981 OPS in 2022.

New York also finalized a one-year contract with right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga, a deal that includes a club option for 2026. Pitching coach Matt Blake said this week the 30-year-old right-hander could return in late April or May from Tommy John surgery last May 1.

“I imagine him being one of the high-leverage guys,” Blake said. “Obviously, we got to take some time to get him right, make sure we don’t rush him into competition.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

FILE - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

FILE - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

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