Secretary of State Cord Byrd is asking Leon Circuit Court to keep Paula Stark off the ballot after she submitted incomplete qualifying materials less than 30 minutes before the noon deadline on June 12. In his response to her lawsuit, Byrd challenged Stark's claims about a paperwork mix-up, noting that she and her treasurer, Joel Davis, could have exercised greater care. Five state employees gave sworn written court declarations stating that Davis never submitted the crucial Form 6 nor was he accidentally handed it back when he submitted the rest of the paperwork in the final hour of the qualifying window. Form 6 is a public disclosure of financial interests.
Three weeks after the qualifying deadline passed, Stark still has not submitted Form 6, according to Election Records Division Bureau Chief Erica Ikay Reeve. Reeve said Stark was one of 12 candidates who did not properly turn in Form 6, though half of them corrected the problems and still qualified. Reeve also cited Stark's pattern of paperwork issues, including campaign finance reports filed over one month late, excessive contributions, an incorrect address on file, and unpaid fines. The state revoked Stark's Friends of Paula political committee in November over $16,000 in unpaid fines from missed campaign finance deadlines. If Stark is removed from the ballot, the August Primary for House District 47 would be open to all voters choosing between Democrats Jorge Figueroa and Anthony Nieves.