Wanda Getter-Pataky (center) with her attorney John Gulash (right) during testimony regarding a challenge to absentee ballots in the 2023 Democratic primary for mayor in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in October 2023 Had a conversation. Getter-Pataky was one of four people charged Tuesday in connection with the city’s 2019 mayoral primary.
Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP/Pool
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Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP/Pool
Four people involved in the mayoral race for Connecticut’s largest city were indicted Tuesday for allegedly misusing absentee ballots.
The state’s charges stem from Bridgeport’s 2019 Democratic primary and are separate from allegations of misconduct in the city’s 2023 mayoral race, which led a judge to order a new primary.
Those charged are Bridgeport Democratic Party official Wanda Geter-Pataky; and City Councilmember Alfredo Castillo; and Nilsa Heredia and Josephine Edmonds. Their charges include illegal possession of absentee ballots.
“I hope these indictments will send a message that will deter future attempts to tamper with election results in Connecticut,” Connecticut Attorney General Patrick Griffin said in a statement announcing the charges.
As Connecticut Public Radio reports on the 2023 race, while the 2019 case is under investigation, “allegations of election misconduct have arisen again in Bridgeport, this time drawing national attention.” A judge concluded that the scheduled 2023 primary was “seriously compromised” and ordered a new election after surveillance video appeared to show Gaither-Pataky and others improperly placing ballots into drop boxes.
None of the four defendants in the 2019 case responded to requests for comment from multiple Connecticut media outlets.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, a Democrat, was ultimately re-elected in the 2019 and 2023 elections. He was convicted of federal corruption charges in 2003 before serving as mayor.
Republican state lawmakers have used Bridgeport’s recent election scandal to call for widespread voting measures in the Democratic-led state. Confirmed instances of electoral fraud are rare in U.S. elections.
