State's top court says Brady will remain on ballot

It's final: Bob Brady stays on the ballot.

The state Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear an appeal filed by supporters of rival candidate Tom Knox, who wanted Brady booted from Philadelphia's May 15 mayoral primary ballot for omitting certain information from his financial-disclosure form.

The ruling means that as Brady campaigns for mayor in the three weeks before the Democratic primary, he can do so knowing his place on the ballot is secure. The legal fight over his candidacy, begun March 16, is over.

The high court's decision, issued about 5 p.m. yesterday, consisted of a one-sentence order rejecting the Knox backers' petition for allowance of their appeal. The court's denials of such petitions typically don't include explanations.

Paul Rosen, a lawyer for the Knox supporters, had argued in both Philadelphia Common Pleas Court and Commonwealth Court that Brady should be disqualified because his financial-disclosure form did not include his city pension or pension payments that the carpenters' union made on his behalf.

Both courts ruled in Brady's favor, most recently with three Commonwealth Court judges opining that they, too, found the state's disclosure rules for candidates confusing.

"The Supreme Court decided it was not going to explain to the public why the law is not applied evenly. That surprised me," Rosen said late yesterday. In his arguments, Rosen pointed out that city candidates had been tossed off ballots in previous races for similar omissions.

Lawyer Stephen Cozen, who represented Brady, said, "I'm glad for Congressman Brady that Mr. Knox's tactic didn't work, and we'll let the voters decide."