Five people including prominent Democratic political operatives in Connecticut's largest city were arrested Friday on allegations of absentee ballot tampering during a 2023 local election, including accusations that led to a court-ordered rerun of a mayoral election and helped fuel skepticism about voting security in the U.S.
The charges generally allege that the defendants in the Bridgeport case illegally possessed absentee ballots of others, were illegally present when voters filled in their ballots and misrepresented absentee ballot rules to voters. Complaints previously filed with state elections enforcement officials said some voters were pressured into picking certain candidates when they filled out their ballots.
Among those arrested were Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee Vice Chairperson Wanda Geter-Pataky, and Bridgeport Democratic City Council Members Alfredo Castillo, Maria Pereira and Jazmarie Melendez, according to the chief state's attorney's office. A Stratford woman was also arrested but contact information for her could not be found and it’s unclear if she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.
Geter-Pataky and Castillo were previously charged with similar absentee ballot crimes connected to the 2019 election.
During the 2023 election, surveillance videos surfaced appearing to show people stuffing multiple absentee ballots into outdoor collection boxes during the Democratic primary. Geter-Pataky was accused of being one of those people by John Gomes, a Democratic candidate for mayor who narrowly lost the September primary that year to incumbent Joe Ganim.
At a court hearing in late 2023 over tampering concerns, two Ganim supporters including Geter-Pataky exercised their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions. Ganim said he was unaware of any wrongdoing.
News of the videos, which were released by Gomes, helped fuel skepticism about the security of U.S. elections and spread through right-wing social media platforms and on far-right media. The Bridgeport controversy was used to bolster 2020 stolen election claims, with people promoting it as evidence for false narratives about widespread fraud connected to ballot drop boxes.
Gomes challenged the 2023 primary results in court, and the videos and other evidence led a state judge to order a new primary and general election, both also won by Ganim.
Geter-Pataky, Castillo, Pereira and Melendez did not immediately return messages Friday.
Geter-Pataky’s lawyer, John R. Gulash, said Friday he had not seen the arrest warrant and declined to comment. Castillo plans to plead not guilty, said his attorney, Frank Riccio II. A lawyer for Pereira, Robert Frost, declined to comment.
Melendez's attorney, Alexander Taubes, said in a statement that Melendez “categorically denies the baseless allegation” and is being targeted for “political retribution.”
Geter-Pataky declined to comment outside the Bridgeport state police barracks where she and others turned themselves in after learning there were warrants for their arrest.
Pereira, who supported Gomes, said while leaving the police station that she was going to win the case. She declined to discuss the allegations.
All five were released on non-bail promises to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on March 6.
Geter-Pataky was charged with dozens of crimes Friday including 42 counts of possession of ballots and envelopes restricted, two counts of fraudulent voting and 22 counts of misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot.
Castillo, Pereira, Melendez and Joyce were arrested on similar charges with fewer counts than Geter-Pataky.
“These prosecutions hopefully send the message that deters tampering with election results in the future in Connecticut,” Chief State's Attorney Patrick Griffin said in a statement.
In connection with the 2019 election, Geter-Pataky, Castillo and two campaign workers were charged last year with unlawful possession of absentee ballots and other election law violations. They are accused of manipulating the absentee ballot system during that year's primary, in which Ganim defeated state Sen. Marilyn Moore by just 270 votes.
Prosecutors said some of the defendants misled voters about eligibility requirements for absentee ballots, told people which candidates to vote for, were improperly present when ballots were filled out and violated rules for handling both absentee ballot applications and the ballots themselves.
Those cases are still pending in court.
Ganim was first elected mayor in 1991 and served 12 years in the post before quitting when he was caught accepting bribes and kickbacks. Convicted of racketeering, extortion and other crimes, he spent seven years in prison but then won his old job back in 2015. He was reelected again in 2019 and 2023.
Dave Collins, The Associated Press
