Democratic Workers Face Court for Alleged Ballot Tampering

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, five Democratic political operatives faced a judge for the first time since charges of tampering with absentee ballots were brought against them in 2023. These allegations culminated in a court decision to hold a rerun of the mayoral primary and general election, which has subsequently sparked ongoing debate about the integrity of U.S. election systems.
The defendants, including three members of the Bridgeport City Council and the vice-chair of the city’s Democratic Party, were present for a brief hearing in the Bridgeport Superior Court. Their next court date has been scheduled for March 21, and none of them have submitted pleas at this stage.
Leading up to the 2023 primary, police reported that surveillance footage captured individuals inserting numerous absentee ballots into city collection boxes on several occasions. Additional allegations against the defendants include unlawfully assisting voters with filling out ballots and directing them on who to select, details which are outlined in the arrest documents.
The release of the surveillance footage heightened concerns about the reliability of U.S. electoral processes and fed into false claims regarding the 2020 presidential election being compromised.
On February 21, state police apprehended Wanda Geter-Pataky, who serves as vice chairperson of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee, City Council members Alfredo Castillo, Maria Pereira, Jazmarie Melendez, and Margaret Joyce from Stratford, who reported involvement in Mayor Joe Ganim’s campaign efforts.
Castillo, Pereira, and Melendez have refuted the accusations leveled against them. Meanwhile, Geter-Pataky and her legal representative abstained from commenting on the charge, and Joyce opted to withhold comments on Thursday. Mayor Ganim has consistently stated his lack of awareness regarding any electoral fraud incidents.
Both Geter-Pataky and Castillo publicly backed Ganim, conversely, Pereira and Melendez allied with John Gomes, Ganim’s opponent in the 2023 primary. Previously, Geter-Pataky and Castillo faced analogous charges relating to absentee ballot offenses associated with the 2019 election that Ganim won. State police have implicated Geter-Pataky as one of the individuals visibly stuffing collection boxes with ballots in the videographic evidence.
Although Ganim narrowly secured the Democratic primary against Gomes and eventually triumphed in the election, a state court annulled both outcomes due to substantial evidence indicating ballot tampering. Nonetheless, Ganim subsequently emerged victorious in both rerun elections.
Initially elected in 1991, Ganim served 12 years before resigning amid charges of accepting bribes and other illicit activities. Following a conviction on racketeering, extortion, and similar offenses, served a 7-year prison term but successfully reclaimed his mayoral position in 2015.