Four officials from the Bridgeport Democrat campaign face charges over ballot fraud.
The allegations relate to their actions during the 2019 mayoral primary in Bridgeport, Connecticut, including misconduct with absentee ballots and falsifying voter eligibility claims.
According to Breitbart News, the accused are Wanda Geter-Pataky, a city hall employee and Vice Chairwoman of the Bridgeport Democrat Town Committee, Alfredo Castillo, Nilsa Heredia, and Josephine Edmonds. The quartet is implicated in various acts, such as improperly handling absentee ballot applications and influencing voter choices through direct instructions.
The officials' political alignments within the primary present a complex picture. Geter-Pataky and two others supported incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim, while Josephine Edmonds backed State Sen. Marilyn Moore, Ganim's primary contender. This split reflects deeper divisions within the local party's ranks during the contentious primary.
Wanda Geter-Pataky and Alfredo Castillo allegedly bypassed proper procedures by not signing as "assisters" on absentee ballots. Furthermore, police accused Edmonds of collecting ballots directly from homes and engaging in witness tampering, which directly undermines electoral integrity.
Nilsa Heredia's case centers around her purported guidance to voters to select specific candidates, raising serious ethical and legal questions about her conduct during the election process.
Mayor Joe Ganim, previously embroiled in a corruption scandal, has distanced himself from the investigation, asserting his lack of prior knowledge of the ongoing issues. "We only learned through the media that individuals from both 2019 mayoral primary campaigns have been charged with election violations,” said Mayor Ganim.
Ganim secured the primary victory predominantly through absentee ballots, though he was less favored in the in-person vote. The discrepancy between these voting methods has sparked discussions and scrutiny within local political circles and among the electorate.
State Sen. Marilyn Moore remarked on the normative differences between the campaigns, highlighting a troubling pattern of behavior associated with Ganim's campaign: “It’s not something I encouraged or fostered or was the norm in my campaign. But for the other campaign, it was a norm for people to do that."
Adding to the complexity, Geter-Pataky is currently under separate investigation for a 2023 incident where she was filmed stuffing papers into a ballot drop box. This incident, caught on video, has added a layer of urgency to address potential systemic issues in local election practices.
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin emphasized the gravity of maintaining electoral fairness:
Integrity of our voting process is vital to our democracy. I appreciate the attention and time the Statewide Prosecution Bureau put into these investigations. I hope these prosecutions will send a message that deters tampering with election results in the future in Connecticut.
Having been released from custody, the defendants await further court proceedings scheduled for June 24. Their release conditions and the broad public reaction underscore the community’s sharpened focus on electoral integrity.
This incident reflects wider concern about the handling of elections and the effects of internal party dynamics on public trust. As the accused prepare for their upcoming court appearances, the legal outcomes and the political repercussions may reshape future electoral processes in Bridgeport and potentially beyond.
