Chief Porter: Don’t Target My Officers – Pereira Spreads More Repugnance On WICC Airwaves, Gomes Juggles Quagmire

Troubled City Councilwoman Maria Pereira took to the airwaves Friday morning of WICC’s Melissa Sheketoff – with a rebuttal from Mayor Joe Ganim – to dig in on her off-the-rails communication to City Council President Aidee Nieves and fan more scorn and fabrications after this declaration, and many others, “The point is I don’t back down from anyone and I do mean anyone which includes Porter the Pig and his piglets.”

The genesis of that statement, an inflammatory throw in to a hate-filled diatribe following an effort by the City Council to build local solidarity over Middle East international hostility, is Pereira’s election day arrest for allegedly assaulting a 70-year-old woman at the JFK voting precinct, a case still pending.

To start, Sheketoff provided Pereira a lot of latitude about the reasons for her rant and in typical  Pereira style she projected criticism of her onto others with wildly held exaggerations and falsehoods. Pereira tried to fashion a cloak that her communication to Nieves and Mayor Joe Ganim’s Deputy Chief of Staff Tom Gaudett was not for public distribution when, in fact, it was very much a public matter, subject to public disclosure, irrespective of how it was shared beyond the two immediate recipients.

Then Sheketoff weighed in more directly: what’s the point of fanning the flames of discontent? What does it get you? Why such language?

Pereira meandered about trying to demonize Ganim and anyone associated with him, bringing it back to the phony patina that is often her safe harbor. Pereira held her ground when asked if she should apologize. She also said she would not resign, as called by City Council leadership and a slew of other officials.

Pereira spoke of her support of Ganim opponent John Gomes, who is now in a political pickle and the potential aftershocks this could have on his future.

Pereira pointed out that Ganim lost the walk-in vote propelled by absentee ballots. Here’s the part she left out: in the Democratic primary Pereira lost the walk-in vote handily lifted up by her absentee ballot operation. Tit for tat, right?

Gomes has boxed himself in with Pereira, not that he wasn’t warned. It’s just a matter of time until this relationship completely blows up. That’s what Pereira does.

Gomes told the Connecticut Post’s Brian Lockhart: “The content of her email is not condoned by myself or my campaign. As elected officials, we have to not only support our residents but those within the public safety sector.”

Gomes demured when asked if Pereira should resign. Leave that up to the City Council.

Gomes was forced to create some distance after the latest dust up but Pereira’s zealous absentee ballot harvesting, on his behalf, is not something he wants to risk losing. Gomes also lent some distance after Pereira’s election day arrest, something she noted with threats to bolt the campaign that is undergoing internal leadership strife.

With less than three weeks to the redo Democratic primary, this race may take on twists and turns but Pereira’s grenade will certainly leave lingering shrapnel for a campaign that should have had the wind at its back considering the absentee ballot controversy that led to a new primary.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Lockhart, Chief Roderick Porter declared: “We just try to do our jobs in a fair, impartial way. You can target me. But I would appreciate not targeting my officers. You want to call me something, that’s fine. They don’t deserve to be called stuff like that.”