Two Democratic city councillors and one influential Democrat in Bridgeport, Connecticut, have resorted to police in connection with alleged election tampering.
Councillors Alfredo Castillo and Maria Pereira, as well as Bridgeport Democrat Vice-Chair Wanda Getter Pataki, walked to the Connecticut State Police Department on Friday after a warrant was issued for the arrest. video Share News 12 Connecticut's John Craven.
As Blaze News has been documented over the years, the accusations have swirled around the trio.
In 2019, Castillo and Geter-Pataky allegedly mistook absentee votes during the controversial democratic mayoral primary. At the time, both worked for the longtime Mayor Joe Ganim campaign. Joe Ganim's decades were appointed on a seven-year mission in prison for political corruption.
A former resident of Castillo's district claimed at the time that Castillo picked up an absentee ballot from his home before he had the opportunity to fill it out. Castillo initially denied that he knew the residents or worked to raise absentee votes for him. He reportedly admitted that his handwriting would appear in part of the vote, but he said he had never gotten it.
“It's not me. I didn't vote for absentees. I wouldn't,” Castillo said. CT mirror. “I don't touch on anything like that… he didn't give me a vote.”
Geter-Pataky is said to have filled out absentee ballots during the 2019 mayoral primary without proper approval. She was similarly accused of tampering with a witness.
Additionally, Geter-Pataky is at the heart of the debate in the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary, once again with Mayor Joe Ganim involved. A dedicated Ganim supporter and subsequently a city hall employee, she appeared to have been caught up in surveillance video packing stacks of absentee ballots into city hall dropboxes just days before the election.
The surveillance footage was so surprising that the judge later threw out the results and demanded a primary Dover, but Ganim defeated his opponents in the general election and general election. Like in 2019, the results of the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary were almost exclusively cast to Ganim in a dump of absentee ballots on election night.
The CT post reported that recently issued warrants for Geter-Pataky and Castillo are related to the 2023 election. However, in that case it is unclear what Castillo was accused of doing.
“Connecticut Democrats say corruption isn't the issue despite the voter integrity measures that could be implemented.”
Pereira is also accused of interfering in an absentee ballot in 2023. Maria Pereira came to my house and voted, according to residents of a low-income apartment that was heavily targeted during the major campaign season. She please mail it to me.[ed] that. “
“For four years, Maria Pereira voted for me, stuffed it in a bag and dropped it down,” another resident wrote in the letter. “Maria will give the elderly a bribe, bring Christmas presents… buy food, get some small ones.”
Screenshots of handwritten notes are scribbled about what appears to be absentee voting material and shared in X Craven Connecticut in News 12 shows that Pereira, or those pretending to be Pereira, tried to influence the way people completed their votes.
“You can vote for who you want.[ts] Pereira is said to have written about instructions for one absentee voting.
On another set of instructions, she is said to have written, “No one knows!” Then the heart and her name follow.
When she left CSP station on Friday, Pereira said, “I'm going to win. I beat Bridgeport PD four times with a Zero conviction. I'm going to win this too.”
Pereira, Castillo and Getter Pataky are all scheduled to appear in court on March 6th.
“I was told there was an aggressive warrant, and they offered the option of voluntary surrender,” said Frank Richio, Castillo's lawyer.
“Yes, it's my understanding that she's surrendering to today's warrant. What's inappropriate to comment at this point,” added Geter-Pataky's lawyer, Robert Garash. Ta.
Leader of Yankee Research InstituteConnecticut's government watchdog organization suggests that these cases demonstrate the need for better guardrails in the electoral system.
“It is impossible for Connecticut voters to be confident in the outcome of the election here without meaningful voter integrity reforms, including the requirement for voter ID,” said Carol Pratt Lebau, chairman of the Yankee Institute. said in a statement to Blaze News.
“Our states are facing a crisis in the capabilities of our voting system, which turns out that the public no longer trusts and is manipulating the packed ballot boxes. There's an absentee vote that's there,” said fellow Yankee Institute Frank Rich. Connecticut Fire Chief.
“Connecticut Democrats say corruption isn't an issue, despite the complimentary voter integrity measures Connecticut Democrats can implement, arrests and videotapes tell the real story.”
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