DETROIT (AP) - The judge deciding whether Detroit congressman John Conyers gets on the August primary ballot was confirmed by the U.S. Senate just two months ago.
Federal Judge Matthew Leitman joked Wednesday that he had hoped to start his new career with a dispute over a parking ticket. He calls the Conyers case “exceptionally difficult.”
Conyers, a Democrat, has been barred from the primary ballot because of problems with how campaign workers gathered petition signatures. Some circulators weren’t registered voters or listed a wrong registration address on the petitions.
Those problems mean many signatures don’t count, putting Conyers below the 1,000 necessary to get on the ballot. Conyers is suing to get the Michigan petition law overturned.
He has been in Congress since 1965.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.