diff --git a/commentaries/forms.py b/commentaries/forms.py
index 7cbccf60a3bbec21b476c6a1f7103a33f0aca5c8..f0dcdf3a30c8497a8d19650abc9fda2c291bda45 100644
--- a/commentaries/forms.py
+++ b/commentaries/forms.py
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ class RequestCommentaryForm(forms.ModelForm):
             self.existing_commentary = get_object_or_404(
                 Commentary,
                 arxiv_identifier=cleaned_data['arxiv_identifier'])
-            if not self.existing_commentary:
-                raise
             self.add_error('arxiv_identifier', msg)
         elif (cleaned_data['pub_DOI'] and
               Commentary.objects.filter(pub_DOI=cleaned_data['pub_DOI']).exists()):
diff --git a/commentaries/models.py b/commentaries/models.py
index a42005b4dae74ac4621960f27e9bfc11dcd4bbb0..903ed64694b73410a780c92581ba4df1243e8d2c 100644
--- a/commentaries/models.py
+++ b/commentaries/models.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ class CommentaryManager(models.Manager):
     def awaiting_vetting(self, **kwargs):
         return self.filter(vetted=False, **kwargs)
 
-
 class Commentary(TimeStampedModel):
     """
     A Commentary contains all the contents of a SciPost Commentary page for a given publication.