Connecticut ballot stuffing scandal prompts a mayoral election revote

[KARAH NAME RUCKER]

A PRIMARY ELECTION RE-DO AFTER THE GENERAL ELECTION WAS HELD.

THAT’S NOT SOMETHING YOU HEAR VERY OFTEN.

BUT BECAUSE OF A BALLOT-STUFFING SCANDAL CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT –

VOTERS WILL HAVE TO CAST THEIR VOTES ALL OVER AGAIN –

IN WHAT HAS BEEN A CLOSE MAYORAL RACE IN THE STATE’S LARGEST CITY.

INCUMBENT MAYOR JOE GANIM DEFEATED HIS CHALLENGER JOHN GOMES BY 251 VOTES IN SEPTEMBER’S PRIMARY ELECTION –

AND BY AN EVEN SLIMMER MARGIN OF 173 VOTES IN THE GENERAL ELECTION LAST WEEK.

GANIM’S CHALLENGER WON THE MACHINE VOTE BOTH TIMES.

BUT BIG MARGINS IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS GOING IN GANIM’S FAVOR –

PUSHED HIM OVER THE EDGE TO VICTORY.

OR – DID IT?

THERE WILL NOT BE A RE-COUNT – BUT A RE VOTE –

AFTER THOSE ABSENTEE BALLOTS WERE TAINTED WITH FRAUD ALLEGATIONS DURING THE PRIMARY.

GOMES’ CAMPAIGN REVIEWED VIDEO SURVEILLANCE OUTSIDE BALLOT DROP BOXES.

GOMES COMPILED THIS VIDEO – CALLING IT EVIDENCE OF ELECTION TAMPERING.

GOMES FILED A LAWSUIT AND A JUDGE WOULD AGREE.

MULTIPLE CLIPS LIKE THIS WERE CAPTURED OUTSIDE BRIDGEPORT’S BALLOT DROP BOXES.

DAY — AND NIGHT —

SEVERAL PEOPLE – APPEARING TO INSERT MULTIPLE BALLOTS AT ONCE.

AT MULTIPLE DROP BOX LOCATIONS.

THIS WOMAN IS SEEN ON CAMERA AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING

 – APPEARING TO DEPOSIT MULTIPLE BALLOTS AT A TIME.

SHE RETURNS THREE DAYS LATER. 6 A-M.

APPEARING TO DEPOSIT MORE BALLOTS.

A FEW DAYS LATER –

SHE IS BACK AT THE SCENE – MORE PAPERS IN HAND.

THIS TIME – SHE IS SEEN MAKING TRIPS BACK AND FORTH TO THE BALLOT BOX.

MAKING THREE DEPOSITS.

ACCORDING TO GOMES’ CAMPAIGN –

SHE IS A BRIDGEPORT CITY EMPLOYEE AND DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFICIAL SAID TO BE HELPING THE OPPOSING CAMPAIGN.

AS PART OF GOMES’ LAWSUIT —

WANDA GETER-PATAKY WAS ASKED TO TESTIFY ABOUT WHAT YOU SAW IN THE FOOTAGE.

WHEN SHE TOOK THE STAND – SHE TOOK THE FIFTH.

[ATTORNEY]

“Did you ever deposit an absentee ballot or completed a ballot that was not yours in a city drop box?”

[KARAH]

On the witness stand and questioned for 35 minutes – Wanda GETER Pataky – the city hall employee and supporter of Ganim, took the fith. Her and her attorney refusing to answer questions.

WANDA GETER PATAKY  IS THE SAME WOMAN NAMED IN A 20-19 STATE ELECTION INVESTIGATION – INTO BALLOT FRAUD.

BUT GETER-PATACKY WASN’T THE ONLY ONE STANDING TRIAL IN THE STUFFING SCANDAL.

ENEIDA MARTINEZ – RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION AS A CITY COUNCILWOMAN – WHO WON HER RE-ELECTION BID LAST WEEK –

IS ALSO ACCUSED OF BEING PART OF THE BALLOT STUFFING SCANDAL.

ALLEGEDLY IDENTIFIED IN THIS VIDEO HERE.

AND HERE.

RETURNING SEVERAL TIMES – 

APPEARING TO DEPOSIT MULTIPLE BALLOTS EACH APPEARANCE.

SHE ALSO PLEADED THE FIFTH ON THE STAND.

THE JUDGE IN THE CASE – CALLING FOR ANOTHER MAYORAL ELECTION THAT WILL BE HELD IN JANUARY.

THE JUDGE WROTE “The videos are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all the parties. The volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election into serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary.”

THE JUDGE RULED AN ABNORMALLY LARGE NUMBER OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS WERE CAST IN CERTAIN VOTING DISTRICTS.

ACCORDING TO GOMES’ LAWYER –

HIS REVIEW OF THE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SHOWED NO MORE THAN 420 PEOPLE USED BALLOT DROP BOXES.

BUT MORE THAN 1200 BALLOTS WERE SUBMITTED THERE.

REMEMBER – IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION – THE RESULT WAS DECIDED WITHIN A 250 VOTE MARGIN OUT OF ROUGHLY 8 THOUSAND VOTES CAST.

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT HAS BEEN TAINTED BY FRAUD.

THE INCUMBENT MAYOR JOE GANIM – WAS THE CITY’S MAYOR FROM 1991 TO 2003 –

BEFORE HE RESIGNED FROM HIS POST AND SPENT SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON –

CONVICTED ON FEDERAL CORRUPTION-RELATED CHARGES.

HE WAS RE-ELECTED MAYOR IN 20-15 AND HAS BEEN MAYOR EVER SINCE.

CONNECTICUT’S SECRETARY OF STATE FILED AN ORDER THIS WEEK –

CALLING FOR THE DO-OVER MAYORAL PRIMARY ELECTION TO BE HELD JANUARY 23RD – A DATE BOTH PARTIES AGREED ON.

IF GANIM WINS AGAIN — THEN THE INCUMBENT WILL STAY IN OFFICE AND THE DRAWN-OUT ELECTION IS OVER.

BUT.

IF GOMES WINS THE PRIMARY –

THEN ANOTHER GENERAL ELECTION WILL HAVE TO BE HELD.

THAT ONE – HAS A PROPOSED DATE OF FEBRUARY 27TH.

IT’S BEEN CALLED “THE MOST CONFUSING ELECTION IN THE COUNTRY.”

AS THE COUNTRY – READIES ITSELF FOR A MAJOR ELECTION CYCLE AHEAD.