Case Name: In re Nomination Petition of Robert GUZZARDI for the Republican Nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania in the Republican Primary of May 20, 2014. Appeal of Richard W. Stewart, Robert K. Robinson, Richard Tems and Donna M. Cosmello
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 2014-05-01
Citations: 625 Pa. 336
Docket Number: No. 29 MAP 2014
Parties: In re Nomination Petition of Robert GUZZARDI for the Republican Nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania in the Republican Primary of May 20, 2014. Appeal of Richard W. Stewart, Robert K. Robinson, Richard Tems and Donna M. Cosmello.
Judges: Justice BAER files a Dissenting Statement in which Justice TODD joins.
Reporter: Pennsylvania State Reports
Volume: 625
Pages: 336–338

Head Matter:
91 A.3d 701
In re Nomination Petition of Robert GUZZARDI for the Republican Nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania in the Republican Primary of May 20, 2014. Appeal of Richard W. Stewart, Robert K. Robinson, Richard Tems and Donna M. Cosmello.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Submitted April 21, 2014.
Decided May 1, 2014.
Kathleen Marie Kotula, Esq., PA Department of State, for Bureau of Elections.
William J. Leonard, Esq., Richard P. Limburg, Esq., Lawrence J. Tabas, Esq., Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, L.L.P., Philadelphia, for Richard W. Stewart, Robert K. Robinson, Richard Terns and Donna M. Cosmello.
Gretchen Deborah Sterns, Esq., Law Office of Gretchen Coles Sterns, L.L.C., Pottsville, for Robert Guzzardi.

Opinion:
ORDER
PER CURIAM.
AND NOW, this 1st day of May, 2014, the Order of the Commonwealth Court is REVERSED. The Commonwealth Court erred in applying nunc pro tunc constructs to excuse what it perceived to be a non-negligent failure to timely file a statement of financial interests with the Ethics Commission, as required by Section 1104(b)(1) of the Ethics Act. See 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(b)(1). The untimely filing of the statement constitutes a fatal defect that precludes a candidate's appearance on the ballot. See 65 Pa.C.S. § 1104(b)(3) ("Failure to file the statement in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall, in addition to any other penalties provided, be a fatal defect to a petition to appear on the ballot."); In re Nomination of Paulmier, 594 Pa. 433, 937 A.2d 364, 371 (2007) ("[W]e now hold that the fatality rule announced in Section 1104 of the Ethics Act was intended by the Legislature to bar only those candidates from the ballot who fail to file statements of financial interests or who file them in an untimely manner.") (emphasis added).
It is further ORDERED that Robert Guzzardi's name is to be STRICKEN from the primary ballot for the Republican Party nomination for the Office of Governor of Pennsylvania.
Opinions to follow.
Justice BAER files a Dissenting Statement in which Justice TODD joins.