Prosecutors: 4 Connecticut Democrat Campaign Officials Charged with Ballot Fraud

Four Democrat campaign officials have been charged in a ballot fraud case related to the 2019 Bridgeport, Connecticut, mayoral primary race, prosecutors announced.

Wanda Geter-Pataky, a city hall employee and vice chairwoman of the Bridgeport Democrat Town Committee, and City Councilor Alfredo Castillo were the two officials charged Tuesday, along with Nilsa Heredia and Josephine Edmonds, for allegedly committing fraud.

Three defendants supported Mayor Joe Ganim (D), while Edmonds supported his primary opponent, State Sen. Marilyn Moore (D), according to Connecticut Public Radio.

HERE ARE THE BRIDGEPORT BALLOT FRAUD ARREST MUGSHOTS: City Democratic Party Vice-Chair and city operations specialist Wanda Geter-Pataky, City Councilor Alfredo Castillo, and campaign operatives Nilsa Heredia and Josephine Edmunds. They will all be in court June 24th. @FOX61News pic.twitter.com/7HJF1gcCZF

— Matt Caron (@MattCaronTV) June 11, 2024

Geter-Pataky allegedly failed to sign as an assister on an absentee ballot application that she had filled out on behalf of a prospective voter and “misrepresented eligibility requirements” for voting by absentee ballot, Connecticut’s Division of Crime and Justice announced in a press release.

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As the investigation into the 2019 primary was underway, more allegations of misconduct against Geter-Pataky arose after a video surfaced of her appearing to stuff papers into a ballot drop box when Ganim ran for reelection in 2023, the CT Examiner reported. A separate investigation for that incident is still underway.

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In 2019, Heredia allegedly told prospective voters to select a certain candidate on their absentee ballots and is also accused of misrepresenting eligibility requirements.

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As for Castillo, investigators have accused him of failing to maintain an absentee ballot distribution list, misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot, and failing to sign as an assister on an absentee ballot application.

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Edmonds is accused of being present when four voters filled out their absentee ballots in their home and taking the ballots with her.

She also allegedly failed to “maintain an absentee ballot distribution list” and tampered with a witness “for having told her not to testify truthfully in court,” the press release stated.

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