Wayne County Circuit Court's chief judge ruled Tuesday that Michigan Sen. Adam Hollier's name can remain on the Democratic primary ballot for U.S. Congress in the 13th District.

"Sen. Hollier is legitimately on the ballot," Judge Timothy Kenny said Tuesday in issuing his ruling.

Kenny heard arguments Friday from lawyers on a lawsuit filed by Democratic candidate Michael Griffie of Detroit, who was hoping to have Hollier's name tossed from the ballot for the Aug. 2 primary.

Griffie, a Detroit lawyer and school teacher, argued the Detroit state senator submitted a faulty affidavit of identity attesting that he had no outstanding campaign finance issues.

But Kenny said Tuesday Hollier had filed the necessary paperwork in time to satisfy the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.

Kenny said the Secretary of State's office received the paperwork via email in time to satisfy the errors and omission report related to a 2019 campaign finance report in question.

"It addressed the errors and omission questions," said Kenny, who added that "all of the information" was received by April 12 and that the corrections were made.

Hollier welcomed Kenny's ruling and called Griffie's lawsuit "petty."

“Today’s ruling cements what we have known all along — my campaign is in complete compliance with the law, and I will proudly be on the ballot to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District," Hollier said in a Tuesday statement. "After a thorough review from the Wayne County Board of Elections, Michigan’s Secretary of State, and the ruling this morning in the Wayne County Circuit Court, it is clear my campaign will continue, and I will be on the ballot. I have never had a late report, nor owned a fine or fee."

The Griffie campaign was disappointed in Kenny's ruling.

“We respectfully disagree that sending an email days before filing an AOI is enough to satisfy multiple requests over three years for an amended report," Griffie's attorney Christopher Trebilcock said in a Tuesday statement. "If this decision stands it shows fatal flaws in and unequal treatment under the AOI requirements.”

In mid-May-, Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett dismissed a challenge from Griffie. Garrett said in a letter that she consulted with Michigan Director of Elections Jonathan Brater about whether Hollier had any outstanding finance issues as of April 15 and that Brater confirmed that Hollier had submitted all required statements, reports, fees and fines.

While Hollier's campaign was issued notices of error/omission about past reports, Brater told Garrett that a review of election bureau records "indicates that the committee did provide information sufficient to satisfy any outstanding questions regarding those notices on April 12."  

Griffie and Hollier are competing against seven other fellow Democrats seeking the open seat representing the new 13th District. The congressional district encompasses most of Detroit, the Grosse Pointes and Downriver communities. 

Original source can be found here.