Local

Judge could decide fate of Orange County Commission candidate's status

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Eatonville's former vice mayor, now an Orange County Commission candidate, could have his name pulled from the election ballot.
 
A judge has ruled there is enough evidence to schedule a hearing that will force Alvin Moore to respond to questions about whether he followed procedure   when he resigned his Eatonville lcouncil seat.
 
"People can sue you for any reason, this is just an accusation," Moore said.
           
Moore was talking about the lawsuit a citizen filed claiming he didn't follow election rules and resign from the Eatonville Town Council before the deadline. Moore said he says he turned in his resignation letter on June 3 -- 10 days before it was due.
 
"A time-date stamped copy was submitted to the clerk of Eatonville and also to the supervisor of elections and both of them had accepted it," said Moore.
           
According to the lawsuit, Moore's resignation letter wasn't provided to the town until June 18 -- well past the deadline.
 
Moore's campaign said he's a front-runner and that's the reason he's been hit with so much criticism
 
Much of the criticism came after images of Moore crashing an Altamonte Springs ground breaking and pretending to have a shovel in his hand went viral.
 
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles told Channel 9's Myrt Price that his office did receive Moore's paperwork on time.
 
WFTV political analyst Rick Foglesong said he believes the judge will side with Moore. If the judge doesn't, Moore would be removed from the ballot and any votes already cast for him would be thrown out.
           
Foglesong said this year's commission race is important because historically a Republican has held the seat, but redistricting has changed the demographics.