While Eliot Spitzer has managed to shock his opponent by delivering 27,000 collected signatures to the Board of Elections, Thursday night, Mr. Spitzer’s level of joy might drop over the next few weeks. O’Brien Murray, best known as Bob Turner and Simcha Felder’s campaign manager, has filed an official challenge to Eliot Spitzer’s petitions in a bid to knock him off the ballot in the race for city comptroller, The NY Post reported Monday night.

“Eliot Spitzer doesn’t deserve a free pass after what he put New York through,” O’B Murray told The Post.

Murray, who was close throwing off former Senator Storobin from the ballot, last summer, reviewed the petitions finding many were riddled with errors.

“Eliot Spitzer has returned to politics the way he left it – with lies, deceit and who knows, possibility illegal and fraudulent activity” Murray said.

“Somebody had to step up,” Murray told YWN.

Based on my knowledge of the process, the challenge, if specs are filed to invalidate the petitions, could take a few weeks if not more. Meanwhile, Mr. Spitzer would be forced to use his money, volunteers and energy to counter the challenge, not leaving his campaign too much time to knock on doors and focus on GOTV operation.

Martin Conner, Spitzer’s election attorney released the following statement in response to petition challenge: “Anyone can file General Objections without showing a scintilla of substance for the challenge. The Spitzer campaign took great care in the petitioning process and filed far more than the number of valid signatures required by law. There are no worries in the frontrunners’ camp about making the ballot. That was last week’s concern.”

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)