Brooklyn City Council Primary Winner Announced Amid Fraud Investigation
The Brooklyn City Council primary has finally declared a winner, George Sarantoporus, who edged out GOP chair Richie Balsamian. This comes with the unsettling news that some votes were allegedly cast by deceased individuals, and a criminal investigation is still underway.
The city’s Election Commission made the announcement on Tuesday. In a related concern, a third individual reported that, although he did not vote, he received a “treatment notice,” which is sent to those whose ballots have issues, like missing signatures.
Sources indicate that the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is probing the matter further.
Officials have already unearthed two instances of voter fraud, including 22 votes found during manual recounts that don’t seem to relate to deceased persons but instead to specific living voters.
“The small Republican primary had multiple instances of vote fraud, which was a contrast to the mayoral contest. It involved two absentee ballots submitted for individuals who had passed, along with one living voter who clearly didn’t cast a ballot,” an insider shared.
“We can’t let this go unchecked,” he continued. “It’s important for everyone—Democrats, Republicans, independents—to trust the system as a whole. We need to completely pause any ongoing processes.”
Balsamian, who oversees the appointment of Board of Election workers for the borough’s Republican chair, has not responded to multiple requests for comments.
Sarantoporus ultimately triumphed over Balsamian by a margin of just 16 votes in November, setting him up to challenge Democratic candidate Kayla Santososo.
Santososo remarked, “Honestly, we shouldn’t be counting votes from those who’ve passed away. It doesn’t make sense to validate the results of an election without understanding the extent of the alleged fraud. Voters deserve better.”
The winner of the upcoming general election will replace Councillor Justin Brannan, who is term-limited at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Board of Elections claims they have maintained full transparency throughout the recounting process.
“We’ve conducted a thorough and transparent review of all the valid votes, including a complete hand count,” stated BOE Deputy Director Vincent Ignizio.
He asserted, “The results remain consistent at every review stage. According to New York State election law, all valid votes have been appropriately counted. Our role is to confirm the outcome and continue preparations for the November general election, while any allegations of fraud will be addressed by the District Attorney’s Office.”
