New documents are outlining the allegations against the Joe Ganim campaign following video released by the campaign of Ganim’s Democratic opponent, John Gomes, that the campaign claims shows a city hall employee and Ganim supporter stuffing an absentee ballot box outside city hall.
New documents are outlining the allegations against the campaign of Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim following video released by the campaign of Ganim's Democratic opponent, John Gomes, that the campaign claims shows a city hall employee and Ganim supporter stuffing an absentee ballot box outside city hall.
NBC Connecticut has not independently verified the video.
Four complaints were filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) by Gomes supporters and canvassers that outline 17 incidents of alleged wrongdoing, ranging from ballot tampering and harvesting, to bribery for votes.
One complaining party explains a voter told them a city hall employee filled out the ballot for her and her neighbor before the employee told them, “'I will take them and drop them off for you both.' She took 2 ABs [absentee ballots] with her.”
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“If those statements are true, if those allegations are true, they violate several campaign laws really when it comes to the handling of absentee ballots,” said William Bloss, the attorney for Gomes.
Another complaint outlines alleged bribery by the same city hall employee. The voter involved explained to the Gomes canvasser that the employee, “promised her she can get her a section 8 housing voucher if she votes for Ganim instead of John Gomes.”
Bridgeport primaries
“It raises a question and it's certainly something I hope the election enforcement commission will look carefully at and I am certain thy will,” Bloss said.
Other allegations outlined in the documents include threatening voters, ballot tampering, and confusing voters choosing to vote in person.
Mayor Ganim released a statement to NBC Connecticut Thursday afternoon:
"This matter is now in the court system. We have confidence in the court system to handle everything that's presented. It is the right forum. It's the appropriate forum rather than in political forums by candidates and in the media. Over the last week we saw not only the General Assembly say, “YES”, we're going to provide monitors, we're going to provide the funding for monitors, which has been requested by me and others for this election, and I hope for every election going forward. In Bridgeport, because we have so many seniors (more than 13,000 the highest population in the State), people with limited abilities for access or transportation, handicapped or medically bound individuals - people that want to vote, have a right to vote under our Constitution and have difficulty making it to polls… they may be assured that we'll have supervised ballots to protect the integrity of the process. These are major steps in the right direction that we want and need in the city of Bridgeport, and we look forward to addressing these and other priorities for the future of the city."
The SEEC is investigating the complaints.
