Former SOS fails to file required paperwork for June 2012 primary ballot

Former Republican Secretary of State Brad Johnson was removed from the June primary ballot after failing to submit required paperwork to the Commissioner of Political Practices.

Johnson was running for his old job as Secretary of State.

Johnson, who served one term as Secretary of State before losing to Democrat Linda McCulloch in 2008, failed to file a D-1 business disclosure form before the March 20, 5 p.m. deadline. He was set to compete in a four-way Republican primary but will now have to sit out the 2012 elections instead.

Commissioner of Political Practices program supervisor Mary Baker, who certifies to the Secretary of State that candidates have filed the necessary disclosure paperwork by the statutory deadline, said Johnson claimed to have sent it via email prior to the deadline but no records of the email could be found.

"He says he submitted it as a PDF form. We went through all the emails, all the folders, the trash folder and we can't find any record of it ever being received," Baker said.

Baker said Johnson stopped by the commissioner's office earlier in the day Wednesday and she told him that if he could find the sent receipt in his email program she would accept it as proof that he filed by the deadline. Baker said Johnson called her a few minutes after leaving the office and informed her that he could not find any record of sending the file.

Johnson was meeting with Commissioner of Political Practices Jim Murry Wednesday afternoon and could not immediately be reached for comment.