The state Commonwealth Court on Friday dismissed Bob Bolus’ appeal of being removed as a Republican candidate for mayor of Scranton in the May 20 primary election.
The court dismissed the appeal because Bolus missed a deadline of Tuesday to file a required legal brief to pursue the appeal. The court previously issued orders March 26 and April 4 directing Bolus to file a brief in support of his appeal.
The April 4 order cautioned Bolus to file his brief no later than April 8 or the appeal would be dismissed.
Scranton Republican Charlie Spano challenged Bolus’ run for Scranton mayor in the GOP primary, arguing Bolus falsely claimed in candidate affidavits he was eligible to hold the office, but he was not eligible because of his past felony convictions.
Charlie Spano during a debate of candidates for Scranton mayor hosted by the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County and the Political Science Department at The University of Scranton, at the university on Oct. 15, 2019. (TIMES-TRIBUNE / FILE PHOTO)
Lackawanna County Judge Terrence Nealon booted Bolus off the ballot last month, ruling that the lack of a valid candidate affidavit in his nomination petition rendered it “fatally defective.”
For Scranton’s four-year mayoral term, incumbent Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and former Scranton School Board President Bob Sheridan will battle for the Democratic nomination, while on the Republican side newcomers Trish Beynon and Lynn Labrosky each seek the GOP nomination.