<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0FSvDa_0tzPQY0e00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0FSvDa_0tzPQY0e00" width="1500" height="844" >ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A man who filed to run for the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections seat, but was disqualified this week, is now filing a lawsuit against incumbent Robert Bender.The suit was filed Friday by Bruce Childers, who says his removal from the ballot is "a personal attack."Childers filed to run for Supervisor of Elections last Wednesday -- two days before the deadline to file. But that all changed Thursday when he was disqualified.Bender told WEAR News on Friday that "Mr. Childers' full and public financial disclosure was not provided by close of qualifying."On Facebook, Childers says he wasn't notified until Thursday that he "failed to provide a copy of the full and complete financial disclosure form 6."Childers says he never received a call about any issues, which is something he says should have been done, according to the Florida statute that states a qualifying officer shall make every reasonable effort to notify the candidate of missing or incomplete items.Earlier this week before the disqualification, Bender told Andrew McKay of Newsradio92.3 that it's something that was done for candidates in other races."In some of those secondary reviews, we would contact them and they would have time to fix it," Bender said. "I know at least three candidates that brought in additional paperwork.""Probably had 5-6 candidates in the last hour-and-a-half come through," he added. "About an hour later, I started the secondary review."Childers says he wasn't called.WEAR News called Bender on Friday to find out why. Bender said he couldn't talk specifics now that a lawsuit has been filed.The Supervisor's Office is responsible for making secondary checks on candidacy forms to ensure the information is accurate.In a nearly 1,000 word post, Childers says what's being done is a personal attack against him.His wife is Pam Childers, who serves as the Escambia County Clerk of Court. She recently won a lawsuit against the Escambia County Board of Commissioners.Bender, at the time, was one of those commissioners.The suit centered on a lucrative retirement plan that Pam Childers said commissioners weren't eligible for.The board sued, and a judge ruled in favor of Pam Childers in April -- taking away a retirement plan for commissioners that matched 58% of their annual salary.Bruce Childers concluded his long post on social media by stating "know this is not over." Hours after his 2:30 a.m. post, he filed his lawsuit.As it now stands, Bender will run unopposed in the November election. He was appointed to the office in January by Governor Ron DeSantis.</div></body>

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Disqualification in Escambia County Supervisor of Elections race leads to lawsuit

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A man who filed to run for the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections seat, but was disqualified this week, is now filing a lawsuit against incumbent Robert Bender. The suit was filed Friday by Bruce Childers, who says his removal from the ballot is \"a personal...

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A man who filed to run for the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections seat, but was disqualified this week, is now filing a lawsuit against incumbent Robert Bender. The suit was filed Friday by Bruce Childers, who says his removal from the ballot is "a personal...