McClafferty Will Remain Off November Ballot After Judge Dismisses Lawsuit; No Appeal Planned

Matthew McClafferty will not appear on November’s ballot as a candidate for Delegate to Congress after a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit challenging his disqualification. Mr. McClafferty subsequently said he does not intend to appeal the ruling or refile claims that the court left open for possible future litigation. United States District Judge Evan Rikhye granted a request by defendants Caroline Fawkes, Supervisor of Elections, and Raymond Williams, chair of the Board of Elections, to dismiss the matter in its entirety. For differing legal reasons, the judge disposed of all five claims brought by Mr. McClafferty, along with his request for a preliminary injunction. Counts I and II dealt exclusively with Virgin Islands law and, according to Judge Rikhye, presented essentially the same question in different forms: whether Title 18, Section 411 of the Virgin Islands Code authorized the Supervisor of Elections to “reopen a completed petition examination, after cures have been accep...