Pennsylvania
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., third-party candidates face ballot challenges in Pennsylvania

This story originally appeared on Spotlight PA.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his running mate, and at least nine third-party candidates are facing challenges that could see them kicked off of Pennsylvania’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.
The petition against Kennedy, an independent candidate and member of a dynastic Democratic family who rose to prominence as a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, was apparently filed with the backing of Clear Choice Action. The political action committee was formed by allies of President Joe Biden to challenge third-party and independent candidates.
In a state where recent presidential elections have been decided by just tens of thousands of votes, Kennedy’s appearance on the Pennsylvania ballot could affect whether Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump takes home the state’s coveted electoral votes. Recent polls show Kennedy with roughly 3% support among commonwealth voters.
Challenges to several other candidates were filed with Commonwealth Court by the 5 p.m. deadline Thursday.
The petition targeting Kennedy and his running mate Nicole Shanahan makes several arguments, including that Kennedy provided the wrong home address and that the candidates did not submit enough signatures.
The Pennsylvania Department of State advises third-party candidates for president that it will accept nomination papers with 5,000 signatures. However, it also warns candidates that this standard — which is much lower than the one prescribed in the state’s Election Code — is based on a court ruling that explicitly applies to the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties.
“A voter or other interested party could file an objection to a candidate whose nomination papers contain only 5,000 signatures, which the state judiciary would need to resolve,” the agency warns.
The petition argues that Kennedy’s nominating papers fail to meet either standard. The filing alleges that the candidate filed 23,680 signature lines with “numerous ineligible signatures and defects.”
Two Pennsylvania voters are listed as the petitioners. However, according to a statement obtained by The Inquirer, Clear Choice Action is involved in the objection. The PAC has filed similar challenges in other states including New York and Illinois.
One of the lawyers who filed the petition referred questions to a Clear Choice Action representative, who did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Two separate challenges target the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates: Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia.
One petition challenges the eligibility of some of the party’s presidential electors. The other, filed by the same voters objecting to Kennedy, also targets the number of signatures filed.
Another challenge seeks to disqualify the entire slate for the ultraconservative Constitution Party, which is connected to the Christian right and based in Lancaster.

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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ranks third for police misconduct settlement cases

Perry’s story may help understand some of the findings of a Whitley Law Firm study, originating in North Carolina, that analyzed police misconduct settlement figures nationwide, documenting patterns and covering numerous jurisdictions.
According to the study, Pennsylvania has paid more than $59 million total for four police misconduct settlements, from 2010 to 2014, ranking the commonwealth third-highest (an average of $14.8 million per settlement) in the nation for large payout amounts.
New York leads the nation in settlement costs, averaging $73 million per case and ultimately exceeding $1.1 billion in total settlements.
A closer look at Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, the study showed the city paid $54 million for police misconduct cases settled between 2010 and 2014.
The family of Walter Wallace Jr. received a $2.5 million settlement in 2021, a year after Wallace was fatally shot by police while experiencing a mental health crisis near his home in Cobbs Creek.
However, Wallace family attorney Shaka Johnson called the payment “cheap” in some respects, noting that the family has the right to use the funds to honor Walter’s memory. His death, which occurred months after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, further fueled demands for police reform. Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked nationwide protests and calls for accountability.
Similarly, Wallace’s killing deeply affected Philadelphia residents, prompting demands for changes in law enforcement policies, training and accountability measures.
The Whitley study underscores the steep costs of misconduct settlements and the systemic issues they expose. The report highlighted the need for preventative issues, such as improved policies and police training, to reduce wrongful deaths.
“Every dollar spent on a misconduct settlement is a dollar that could have been invested in community resources, safety initiatives, and police training,” the report states. “It’s critical that we work to ensure these settlements become rare, not routine.”
The cases of Wallace and Floyd stand as stark reminders of the urgent need for systemic reforms to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Michael Collins, senior director of state and local policy for social justice nonprofit Color of Change, blames the high number of misconduct payment settlements on strong police unions in this country.
“The Fraternal Order of Police, which acts to protect indefensible cop behavior, they will negotiate as part of the contract ways in which account is very watered down,” Collins told WHYY News in an interview. “They will, you know, protect officers who are tied to, like, white supremacists. They will protect officers who have previously engaged in misconduct, they will erect obstacles that do not occur for investigations into regular members of the public.”
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