PHILADELPHIA — Green Party candidates seeking spots on the statewide ballot in November received a boost this summer from a group of Philadelphia-area Republicans, including one with a problematic history when it comes to elections.
Billy Lanzilotti — a 24-year-old former South Philadelphia ward leader ousted earlier this year after The Philadelphia Inquirer reported he’d diverted the mail ballots of dozens of primary voters to a P.O. Box he controlled — was among a group of six GOP members circulating nominating petitions for Green Party candidates in the races for governor, lieutenant governor, and the U.S. Senate, according to public documents.
The goal? Gathering enough signatures to put those candidates on the ballot this fall in hopes they will draw votes away from the Democratic nominees.
