Uh huh, a mathematical error causes the loss of 1200 recall signatures?

This clerks 'error' appears to mean that there is no recall petition. Rather convenient for someone, isn't it?

A mathematical error led to more than 1,200 signatures calling for the recall of Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman to be rejected by the Town Clerk's Office on Friday, about 24 hours after they were submitted.

The Town Clerk's ruling is the latest chapter in the saga between Berman and political foe Fred Phillis, who chaired the End Corruption in Gilbert political action committee that sought to remove Berman from the mayor's chair.

Town Clerk Cathy Templeton, in a letter to Phillis dated Friday, said the 120-plus pages of petitions were rejected because of a calculation error by the Clerk's Office that said a minimum of 981 valid signatures were needed to place the recall election on a future ballot.

Rather, according to Templeton's letter to Phillis, a minimum of 1,963 were needed.

In the letter, Templeton apologized to Phillis and shouldered blame for the mistake.

Excuse me. Just how is the clerk shouldering the blame? It appears that the recall effort loses, not the clerk and not the mayor ... in fact, the mayor appears to gain from this mathematical error.