This week, four Democratic operatives in Connecticut were charged with crimes related to elections. Among them is a woman previously accused of “ballot stuffing” during a primary election for Bridgeport mayor.
Two campaign workers, Bridgeport City Councilmember Alfredo Castillo, and Democratic Town Committee Vice Chair Wanda Geter-Pataky, were charged with illegal possession of absentee ballots and other offenses.
Geter-Pataky allegedly did not sign as a helper on an absentee ballot application she filled out for a voter. Castillo is accused of misrepresenting the requirements for absentee voting and also failing to sign as a helper.
Three of the charged individuals supported Mayor Joseph Ganim’s 2019 re-election, while the fourth supported Ganim’s opponent, Marilyn Moore. Mayor Ganim has denied knowing about their alleged actions.
The four defendants will appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on June 24.
In a past case, a state judge overturned the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary in Bridgeport due to claims of absentee ballot fraud. Only 251 votes separated Ganim from his challenger, John Gomes.
Judge William Clark ordered a new election after Geter-Pataky and another person were seen on CCTV dropping off many absentee ballots.
Some of this video was shown on Fox News, where a correspondent confronted Geter-Pataky, but she did not comment.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont dismissed claims that early voting and expanded absentee balloting led to corruption, stating that “people who do the corrupting” are to blame.
Attempts to reach Geter-Pataky for comment were unsuccessful. Chief Connecticut State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin stated that three of the four defendants were also charged with witness tampering.
“Integrity of our voting process is vital to our democracy,” Griffin said, appreciating the work of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau. He hopes these prosecutions will deter future tampering with election results. All four defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.