Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia County Working Families Party case was dismissed late last week, along with its 13 consolidated cases. Judge Scott DelConte, a justice of the Supreme Court, 5th Judicial District in New York, from Oswego County, presided over the case following consolidation. DelConte ruled that the petitioners lacked sufficient evidence to support the claims that the Working Families Party certificates of authorization were invalid or fraudulent because they lacked original signatures. The certificate of authorization, also called the Wilson-Pakula authorization, allows candidates from other parties to run on the Working Families Party line. About 30 candidates are listed on the certificate in Columbia County. The petitioners argued the Working Families Party’s certificates of authorization are invalid because signatures were cut and pasted electronically and that the certificates were scanned, so local boards of elections did not receive original documents with authentic signatures. Attorneys for the respondents, including the boards of elections, Working Families Party and candidates, argued the signatures were done legally and that the documents complied with election law and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.7. Ghent Republican Committee member Christopher Cornell and Hudson 2nd Ward Supervisor Abdus Miah, a Democrat, challenged four local Working Families Party candidates’ certificate of authorization in Columbia County Court earlier this month and later consolidated. Both men were represented by attorney John Ciampoli of Sayville, Suffolk County. Cornell challenged Ghent town board candidates Mallory Mort, Laurie Johnson and Carl Quinn; Miah challenged his challenger in the 2nd Ward Supervisor race, 2nd Ward Alderwoman and Majority Leader Tiffany Garriga. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.