State Charges Against Councilwoman Melendez Appear Shaky

Law Enforcement12 Comments

City Councilwoman Jazmarie Meledez.

Of all the state charges leveled against five political operatives accused of absentee ballot fraud during the 2023 mayoral race, on the face it those applied to City Councilwoman Jazmarie Melendez seem dubiously thin.

While the others – City Council members Maria Pereira and Alfredo Castillo, Democratic Party Vice Chair Wanda Geter-Pataky and Margaret Joyce of Stratford – were pinched on multiple counts including possession of ballots Melendez was charged with six counts of “Misrepresenting Eligibility Requirements for Voting by Absentee Ballot, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 9-135(b).”

Last November Connecticut voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing residents to vote by mail without claiming an approved excuse such as illness or being out of town. Connecticut had been one of a few states to require excuse-only absentee voting.

Charging someone with misrepresenting eligibility requirements seems excessive considering what applied then is no longer the case.

If true, couldn’t this have been handled civilly?

Melendez, who like her council partner Pereira supported John Gomes for mayor, while the others backed Mayor Joe Ganim, came upon the public scene after a city police officer shot and killed her 15-year-old brother Jayson Negron while behind the wheel of a stolen car in 2017.

The officer was not charged with excessive force but the city settled a federal lawsuit with the family.

Melendez lawyer Alexander Taubes did not hold back in a statement to the Connecticut Post about the charges.

“Jazmarie would never mislead anyone about their fundamental rights,” he said. “The law on mail-in voting has changed repeatedly in recent years, leaving even the most civic-minded citizens confused. Councilwoman Melendez is being targeted for political retribution, not because she broke the law.

“This is an ambush by those who fear her voice,” Taubes’ statement said. “The people of Bridgeport know Jazmarie Melendez’s character, and they won’t fall for this transparent smear campaign. She will be fully vindicated when the facts come to light, but her only focus now is on fighting for her community, as always.”

Melendez goes about her council business in a thoughtful, understated manner offering a strong voice for her Upper East Side constituency, certainly not the puffery that accompanies her council partner Pereira with whom she has had an up and down relationship.

Perhaps there’s more to it, but on the face of the charges what’s the point?

Seems extremely excessive.

 

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12 comments

  1. Agreed, considering we didn’t here anything aboat several others who were a typic of disssion who were caught on tape including one who was called to take the stand and pleaed the 5th.
    Whose job is it to make such a decision?

    This place is/was a mess.

    John, get out it’s a trap.🙃

    Billboards, Port, billboards. Good luck Port.

    https://youtu.be/DcjiXYzMJ28?si=OUarb8_Bz3HOJqaB

    I Depart with Coolio

    https://youtu.be/SQCSxqScSVQ?si=IqXIw7Jfom6qAtXk

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    1. Robert Teixeira, one day I’m going to buy OIB and the first action I’ll take, will be banning you forever. But, I’d consider hiring you as one of OIB correspondents.
      You speak and write Español? If so, you’ll lead the OIBilingual department.

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      1. Speedy, are you planning on taking OIB south the border. 😂

        With the rise of AI tech,I speak 240 languages 🙂

        Though, when one entity buys out another entity they usually the frist action made are cuts, However, I’m not saying you’ll make a point to such extreme actions. Bam.
        J

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        1. South of the border? El Salvador 🇸🇻 perhaps. Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 is a USA Colony like Bridgeport is a Democratic Party Colony. Taiwan with the use of DeepSeek?

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  4. Lennie, I spent some time brainstorming on the Jazmarie Melendez charges. Lennie, why the he’ll did you leave out the lettet ‘n’ out of Miss Meledez’s (I did it too) last name? You trying to say the charges will be (n)allied? Or (n)ot quilty? Oh shit, let me get the fuck off JML mode.

    “Misrepresenting Eligibility Requirements for Voting by Absentee Ballot, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 9-135(b).”

    The above violation is one of the easiest to disprove and hardest to prove and not even worth investigating, let alone charging a person with. First, who filled the application? If Jazmarie did so and she signed as having assisted in filing the AB Application, that in itself shows compliance, transparency and that she absolutely wasn’t trying to conceal her participation in the AB process. If she signed-off on those AB Applications, (n)ot guilty!

    I spoke with Maria Aqueda. Maria Perra had filed a FALSE SEEC complaint during the Hennessey vs Brown election. The SEEC findings clearly showed the PERRA lied.
    Aqueda was a target of this investigation too. Geter is or was planning to sue the City for wrongful termi action. Her attorney was trying to argue that there’s was a double standard. Why wasn’t Maria Aqueda fired? Answers: Maria Aqueda FULLY cooperated. She did NOT plea the 4th. Excuse,me I used the wrong hand.
    (JML, you see what I’m doing? I don’t just word-play–I finger-play) She did NOT plea the 5th.

    Now Lennie, where is the comments made by City Council President Aidee Nieves about Maria Aqueda as far as her AB activities caught on videos? Where’s the link Lennie? Don’t wait for JML to jump in and accused you of being biased or in Joke Ganim’s pocket.

    OIB, NEVER biased, ALWAYS fair!

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  5. Robert Teixeira, one day I’m going to buy OIB and the first action I’ll take, will be banning you forever. But, I’d consider hiring you as one of OIB correspondents.
    You speak and write Español? If so, you’ll lead the OIBilingual department.

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