Miscommunication leads to late filing of ethics paperwork for some first-time candidates

It appears a breakdown in communication between prospective candidates for state office may lead some to losing out on the opportunity to run for a seat in the General Assembly this coming fall.

State Representative Deborah Long, who serves an eastern portion of York County and the panhandle of Lancaster County, says a number of candidates could not find their names on a ballot after a mixup in the filing dates for an economic interest statement.

First-time candidates were required to file a statement of economic interest by March 30, but a mix-up in the language on the commission’s website led some to think the deadline was April 15.

Long explains the difference.

Fort Mill resident Raye Felder was one of those first-time candidates who missed the deadline, filing her ethics paperwork on April 9. Long says that in some parts of the state, the issue has been blown out of proportion.

The ethics commission has since offered a 10-day extension for first-time candidates to submit the additional paperwork.