Connecticut authorities have charged four campaign workers with misusing absentee ballots, years after their alleged involvement in the 2019 Bridgeport Democratic mayoral primary scandal.
On Tuesday, the authorities brought charges against four individuals, including Bridgeport City Councilman Alfredo Castillo, 52, and vice chair of the city’s Democratic Party leader Wanda Geter-Pataky, 67. Additionally, two 2019 campaign workers, Nilsa Heredia, 61, who worked with Mayor Joe Ganim, and Josephine Edmonds, 62, who worked for Marilyn Moore, a Ganim primary opponent, were also charged. The charges levelled against them include Unlawful Possession of Absentee Ballots, along with other individual charges.
According to investigators, the group was initially accused of mishandling absentee ballots during the mayoral primary race in September 2019. In the end, the incumbent mayor, Joe Ganim, barely won the primary by defeating John Gomes with a mere 251-vote lead.
Afterward, Gomes filed a lawsuit, claiming mishandling of absentee ballots. To support the case, Geter-Pataky, a member of the Democratic Town Committee, was caught on video repeatedly dropping absentee ballots into drop boxes or giving them to others, who did the same.
The evidence presented in court was so incriminating that the judge ultimately ruled in favor of Gomes, requiring a new primary election to take place.
In November 2023, the superior court judge expressed serious doubts over the result of the primary election due to the significant mishandling of a high volume of ballots. The judge stated that the court was unable to determine the legitimate outcome of the primary as a result.
In 2019, mishandling of absentee ballots resulted in allegations that led to the Secretary of State’s office sending a referral letter to the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Investigators have reported that a civil investigation was initiated by the commission, which led to a decision to refer evidence of criminal conduct to the Division of Criminal Justice on June 7, 2023. The Office of the Chief State’s Attorney ultimately accepted this referral.
Chief State’s Attorney Griffin stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of our voting process, as it is crucial to our democracy. The Statewide Prosecution Bureau’s dedication and effort in investigating these cases are much appreciated. Griffin hopes that the prosecution of these cases will serve as a warning to prevent any future attempts to manipulate election results in Connecticut.
In addition to their charges related to the election, these individuals are also facing other allegations. Some of them have been accused of tampering with a witness, misrepresenting eligibility requirements for absentee ballots, failing to maintain an absentee ballot distribution list, and more.
The authorities released all four individuals with a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on June 24.
