Suit filed in strained Lake County race after claims of dirty politics

A lawsuit has been filed against the Republican candidate for property appraiser in Lake County and against Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays, seeking to remove the candidate from the race.The complaint was filed in the Fifth Circuit Court by incumbent Property Appraiser Carey Baker.“He either broke the rules or the laws in filing," he said of his challenger.Baker said he followed the rules and shared a re-election plan with Republican candidate Mark Jordan’s brother, David Jordan, the Republican tax collector for Lake County.That plan included Baker having a check to cover the qualifying fee of roughly $10,685, and waiting with his paperwork until just before qualifying ended at noon on June 14. If no one challenged Baker, he would file as a write-in, skip paying the fee, and return the money to his donors.As he was leaving the office, he saw the tax collector, who won automatic re-election for lack of a challenger in his race, and his brother Mark, who earlier in the week filed to run and try to keep his board of trustees post on the North Lake Hospital District. He was appointed to the post in January by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.As soon as Baker left, Mark Jordan filed to run against Baker, handing over this check for the qualifying fee. For now, Baker's name won't be on the November ballot, just a space to write any person’s name.Baker filed suit late Monday with defendants listed as Mark Jordan and Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays. Baker wants a judge to remove Jordan from the property appraiser race, adding, “They circumvented the law, broke the law, broke the rules, in order to trick me, essentially. But maybe more importantly, breaking the trust that I had in them as my friends. And we think a judge will clearly enforce the law and remove him from the ballot.”Specifically, Baker claims Mark Jordan's paperwork was stamped after the noon filing deadline and that he failed to withdraw from the North Lake Hospital District Board in order to run for a different office.As soon as the state and local Republican parties heard what happened, the Lake Republicans voted to censure both Mark and David Jordan for what they called "immoral and depraved" actions.When David Jordan was asked if this was a scheme to trick Baker into losing re-election, as Baker alleges, Jordan replied flatly, “No.”David Jordan said he previously told Baker that filing as a write-in to save donor money was a risk, adding, “He is not a political novice. He took a risk that I would never, never in a million years would I take that. It's called a tell. And when your bluff is called, there you are.”He did not deny sharing information with his brother that Baker might file as a write-in, adding, “Strategy is not trickery! What's trickery is going in at the last minute with a check, and switching out.”Baker countered, “Breaking the law is not strategy. Breaking the law is a criminal act.”Which is something a judge will now decide.Barbara Price, chair of the North Lake Hospital District Board, where Mark Jordan has been serving, gave the following statement:"The county deserves better than this and I am disappointed in Mark and David Jordan that serve in an appointed or elected position. We are in Lake County and this kind of backstabbing does not go on between friends."Mark Jordan did not return our messages requesting comment.