4 Connecticut Democratic operatives charged in absentee ballot misuse investigation

Four Connecticut Democratic operatives were charged this week with election-related offenses, including one woman who had been previously scrutinized over alleged “ballot stuffing” in a Bridgeport mayoral primary.

Two campaign workers, along with Bridgeport City Councilmember Alfredo Castillo and Democratic Town Committee Vice Chair Wanda Geter-Pataky, were charged with unlawful possession of absentee ballots, among other offenses, according to multiple reports.

Geter-Pataky was in-part accused of failing to sign as an “assister” on an absentee ballot application she had filled out on behalf of a prospective voter, according to an official statement on the case.

Castillo was accused of misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot and failing to sign as an assister, among other allegations.

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Three of the individuals, including Geter-Pataky and Castillo, were supporters of Mayor Joseph Ganim’s 2019 re-election, while the fourth supported Ganim’s primary opponent, Marilyn Moore, according to the Connecticut Post.

Ganim, who leads the state’s largest city, has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the alleged behavior of the supporters.

The four defendants are scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on June 24. 

A state judge previously overturned the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary in Bridgeport over allegations of absentee ballot fraud. Only 251 votes separated Ganim from his then-challenger John Gomes. 

Judge William Clark ordered a new election be held after Geter-Pataky and another individual were purportedly seen on CCTV video making multiple trips to insert a large number of absentee ballots into drop boxes.

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Some of the video aired on Fox News Channel at the time, during which a correspondent for “Jesse Watters Primetime” confronted Geter-Pataky as she was getting out of her vehicle. Geter-Pataky offered no comment to the correspondent.

In remarks captured by Fox News following the 2023 situation, Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont dismissed claims the “potential corruption” was caused by the introduction of early voting and expanded absentee balloting.

“I think it’s people who do the corrupting,” Lamont said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Castillo and the Connecticut Democratic Party for comment. Attempts to reach Geter-Pataky were not successful.

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Chief Connecticut State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin said in a statement that three of the four defendants were also charged with witness tampering in the current case.

“Integrity of our voting process is vital to our democracy,” Griffin said. “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.”

Griffin noted all four are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.