A source inside his campaign office tells The Lo-Down that a special referee has recommended putting City Council member Alan Gerson back on the September Primary ballot. The Board of Elections removed Gerson for failing to satisfy its concerns about altered petitions. Separately, candidate Pete Gleason sued Gerson in State Supreme Court, alleging fraud. Last week, the referee, Leslie Lowenstein, heard two days of testimony — and he has now forwarded a report to State Supreme Court Judge Edward Lehner. The judge has scheduled a hearing for tomorrow afternoon, in which he'll hear legal arguments from both sides – and decide whether to follow Lowenstein's recommendation. If Gerson gets back on the ballot tomorrow, the Gleason campaign is widely expected to appeal. See our previous coverage of Gleason vs. Gerson here and here.
