Even when you’re an observer in the courtroom, it can be difficult to pinpoint judicial direction. That’s because judges don’t always know what they want to do, or prefer to pass the buck to a higher judicial authority, screw public transparency. (God forbid they be overturned.) Sometimes judges thread needles. What has the judge ruled? It leaves lawyers open to interpretation which can lead to an election mess. That’s potentially where we are less than four weeks from an anticipated Democratic primary for mayor.
Superior Court Judge Salvatore Agati is trying to sort out this Board of Education mess from a courtroom in Waterbrury. Some genius jurist in Bridgeport thought it more important to transfer this case to Waterbury. As a result, Agati has created far more questions than answers.
The state has come in, at the urging of city officials, to run the schools while mothballing the elected Board of Education. Several opponents to this action say this is wrong and seek court intervention. Some lawyers who were in Agati’s courtroom say the judge has determined there’s no sense to place Board of Education members on the September 13 ballot as a result of a reconstituted (appointed) school board. Others in the courtroom heard no such thing. The judge, all sides agree, is open to the state Supreme Court to settle a larger argument whether the state action is unconstitutional, if all the lawyers involved can stipulate.
Meanwhile, Democratic Registrar of Voters Sandi Ayala is afraid to make a statutory decision without a court directive even though she doesn’t need one relative to certifying Mary-Jane Foster for a ballot spot for the September 13 mayoral primary. Ayala sounds like she suffers from paralysis by analysis, or perhaps political intimidation, and this could become dangerous to the democratic process as the primary approaches. Ayala has endured a difficult year that started last November when a ballot shortage placed the city in national headlines.
I called Ayala Friday afternoon for some insight.
“Lennie, I can’t tell you anything on the advice of counsel.”
What counsel? Her own lawyer Paul Ganim? Lawyers for the City Attorney’s Office who’d be doing Mayor Bill Finch’s bidding not to see Foster on the ballot?
“Sandi,” I asked, “either Foster has qualified for the ballot or not?”
“Lennie, I’m sorry, I’ve been advised not to talk about it.”
“Okay,” I suggested, “no one’s in court challenging whether Foster should appear on the ballot. The court question involves Board of Education candidates, not Foster. Does she have enough petition signatures to qualify?”
“I’m sorry, Lennie, I’ve been advised not to talk about it.”
To Sandi’s credit, after I asked the question five different ways, she gave me nothing but the same answer. Translation: she’s terrified to make a decision, even though state statute gives her full authority to make a decision. Lawyers involved in the BOE case say they’ve heard nothing from the judge that would prevent Ayala from certifying Foster for the ballot, assuming five percent of signatures from registered city Democrats have been verified. Sources say that is the case.
Several city Democrats including Town Chair Mario Testa who support Mayor Bill Finch have been calling Ayala to place their spin on why she should not certify Foster for the ballot. Ayala’s job security relies on support from the town chair. Mario would sleep well knowing he could tell the mayor he sent a message to Ayala about her future standing with the party. Mario has a way of getting a point across. When he wants to send someone a message his standard line is, “We have to send a message.” If the Finch forces are so certain, as some of them maintain, that they’ll croak Foster on primary day why wouldn’t they want her on the ballot? Maybe they’re not so certain.
I don’t know John Kadaras, the lawyer representing the Foster camp in this case. I know one thing, if not Kadaras himself, the Foster camp needs to lawyer up real fast. The Foster campaign issued this statement Friday night:
A message to Mary-Jane’s supporters:
To be clear, we do not agree with the Connecticut Post’s article, “Judge says no primary for Bridgeport ed board” regarding our Board of Education standing and whether our candidates will be placed on the September 13th ballot. The article is factually incorrect.
As of today there were no stipulations approved by the judge regarding this matter. This remains an issue to be argued before the Superior Court judge on Monday.
The battle is not over when it comes to Mary-Jane fighting for your democratic voice. More to come soon!
Lennie, you can put my name back on the roster team Foster, I will be back in town on Monday. I am sure we will be more than ready to fight the good fight. Once again I will repeat–If you have the facts argue the facts, if you have the law argue the law. If you don’t have either the facts or the law then you scream and yell. I say more and louder screaming every day. My understanding is the session with the Judge was a closed conference. There was one judge, approx. 13 lawyers, and a clerk in the room. Anyone who has studied law or crime knows you will never get identical witness reports to any situation. No one will know what is actually going to happen until Monday. We can still go to court on Friday and argue ALL these issues if there is not an agreement (stipulations) with regard to the facts and agreements on the questions of law to be asked of the Supreme Court. If Ayala does not do her legal duty then she will face the consequences of her actions.
Finch has no record of achievement, other than the works of his predecessor he’s taking credit for. $600 tax rebate? “Who cares if it will never happen. All I need to do is SAY it …”
BOE? “What can I do to remove those pesky Working Families people from the BOE? I know, I’ll engineer a bait-and-switch thing …”
People for Excellence in Government? “Oh, that. You know, Tom Kelly’s restaurant closed …”
This one smells.
This one stinks like the shithouse door on a shrimp boat at low tide.
WTF IS THIS!!!!!!!!! I swear this is crazy, we need to be very very very careful of these people with our absentee ballots. For all I know they might throw away my vote for Foster when I vote!!!
Sounds to me these machine people are smelling a big loss come primary day. Everyone in my family is voting for Foster, from my cousin who votes at Read to my uncle who votes at Dunbar and me at Black Rock. Go Foster GO!!!
Mario Dem Town Chairman doesn’t live here!!! Message to the voters, vote Foster.
I heard from a reliable DTC source YESTERDAY MORNING THAT MJF had qualified with her signatures. I wondered yesterday why this wasn’t big news. Isn’t there a deadline by when the registrar has to certify the signatures? This is ridiculous!
Where the heck are the FEDS? Walk in and find the 3500 signatures and oversee this process. The long arm of human law has no balls in Bpt.
WINNING–The Feds are with Finch! A strong leader who is going to lead this city back to the top!!!
You sound silly–The Feds are with Finch–get real.
I am confident the signatures have been verified and Sandi knows it. Is she that afraid of Mario she would risk more focus and investigation into the actions of the Registrars’ Office? Do your job, Sandi, and no one can touch you.
She is legally obligated to certify the petitions if the signatures have been verified. If she does not there will be legal consequences.
And once again, MJF needs to get two qualified and aggressive poll watchers for each polling place to monitor the ballots. Mario knows how to manipulate this. Also the absentee ballot requests and the absentee ballots themselves need to be state monitored. Too many ab’s are filled in by Mario minions who have access to senior residential buildings and have age onset demented seniors just sign the applications. There needs to be stringent controls here as ab’s have control past elections.
Mary-Jane Foster has anticipated every move made by the Finch campaign and the fascist political machine headed by Mario Testa. I’m sure there is a provision for polling place monitors.
If Sandi Ayala does not certify the petitions it goes without saying an attorney for the Foster organization will ask her to explain herself to a Superior Court Judge. There are serious legal consequences for Ms. Ayala if she decides the demands of a Madison Avenue pasta cook are more important than following the letter of the law.
The machine is not going to go down without an all-out kicking, screaming, hissy-fitting tantrum. The probably figure no threat is the best bet.
I’m wondering what the public’s reaction would be if Santa Ayala refused to certify MJF’s petitions. There will be a public outcry of some sort. A street protest will be in order.
Lennie, your headline is a rhetorical question. Of course Santa is under pressure …
Are you saying Mario has dug his Claus into Santa?
First, the Finch administration embarrasses the City of Bridgeport with the lack of ballots and now the same individual is holding up the process for Foster. Oh that will go over real well.
How is it you feel the administration had something to do with that? It’s the sole responsibility of the registrars of voters to determine the number of ballots needed, not the mayor’s office. Both of them blew it during that election, so maybe she is walking on eggshells in order to prevent another fiasco. I’m sure she wants to make sure everything is in order this time.
That’s a rhetorical question, Len …
Lennie–I believe in Santa after all these years. I heard there was a paper-eating bacteria floating around the annex. Oops! There goes a thousand signatures. I heard they put two heavy-duty shredders in the budget this year.
All I want for Christmas is two heavy shredders … And maybe an absentee ballot operation out of Mountain Grove Cemetery!
Didn’t you get that years ago????????? lol lol lol.
I heard Team Finch was GOTV at MGC yesterday?
Jim–Wanda Geter is running the MGC operation.
That’s Wanda Cheater!
Lennie–Those people at Mountain Grove have always been a great constituency. They never complain when their piece of land get re-assessed.
Now wait a second. Everyone is being much too cynical about the electoral process in Bridgeport CT. Santa is just being extra-super careful to make sure all those petitions have every single I dotted and T crossed, just like the petitions she used to submit when she was running political campaigns. And everyone will acknowledge what an expert she was at that.
Let the career politicians be on notice if the people cannot effect a change peacefully, then the alternative will be detrimental to their health!!!
Will the Secretary of State’s office be of any help? After her approach to the BOE ballot question, I wonder.
Come September 13 Finch will Go Diva in the Pequonnock River. How’s that $600 tax cut?
I guess you never watched the Sopranos on HBO?
Yes, and flubadub ended up sleeping with the fishes.
And why are you referring to yourself as Godiva? Gonna get naked and ride a horse down Stratford Avenue?
Only if you don’t peek, remember what happened to “Peeping Tom” in the legend. And for all you know, I might just be a chocolate fan, or employed by the Godiva company.
Big Vagina–The SOTS office is a complete joke. It could have been worse if Jerry Garcia were in that position. Hmmm … I wonder who ran that train wreck of a campaign?
Dear Mary_Choen95,
Bill Finch is going to lose the primary because he is a liar and a crook and a bigot. The Secretary of State’s Office will ensure Mario Testa will not be manipulating absentee ballots. They will ensure Mary-Jane Foster’s petition is certified by the Registrar of Voters because it is the legally correct thing to do. If Ms. Ayala feels she is beholden to Mario Testa and not the law she will have to explain her reasoning to a superior court judge.
Mario Testa pressuring the registrar of voters to not certify Mary-Jane Foster’s petition signatures. That is a bad move. If he tries that sort of bullshit maneuver it will bring the world down around his ears.
All these assumptions tossed around on here are just amazing. Any proof or just more idle banter? If Mother Teresa were running for office, I don’t doubt you’d find something negative to say about her also. Let’s see, it might rain today, I suppose that will be Finch’s fault also.