At the Oct. 6 Zoom meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, a body Maria Pereira had served on before her removal by Council President Aidee Nieves for not following council “protocol,” Pereira jolted the attention of her peers in a discussion about resumption of the city’s sidewalk repair program paused in early 2019 because of a federal subpoena into a contractor’s work.
City lawyer Mark Anastasi asserted from his perspective there was no problem with the contractor G. Pic & Sons resuming the work. It’s not like the government announces if someone is cleared of an investigation, he argued.
Still, as is her dogma, Pereira persisted, according to minutes of the meeting, declaring the investigation is not over and that she would be providing all this information to the FBI.
“She made it sound like she was working for the FBI,” says Councilman Ernie Newton who represents the East End. “If I told my community I was working for the FBI guess what would happen? It’s gonna make people look at her differently.”
Last month, Nieves called a caucus at the Margaret Morton Government Center to discuss taxpayers covering legal expenses of outside lawyers representing municipal employees in the federal government’s probe of the 2018 police chief test, something Pereira opposes.
Pereira and councilman Michael DeFilippo had been pushing for an end to that city policy. Caucuses, closed to the public, are conferences of members from one party to discuss business. Nieves requested that council members leave their cell phones behind to create a relaxed environment. Pereira’s attempt to bring in her phone, presumably to record the caucus, was rejected.
“We had a meeting when we’re trying to build trust and work together and we asked everyone to put their phones away,” says Newton. “She was the only who didn’t do it.”
Nieves sanctioned Pereira for her conduct citing that incident, as well as her aggressive language and threats against her peers, removing her from committee assignments.
Fast forward to Oct. 6 and the Public Safety Committee meeting. Council members are allowed to participate in committee meetings even if they are not voting members. Pereira and Anastasi, often sparring partners at these sessions, went back and forth about the practicality of the contractor performing the work. Pereira insisted she’s providing the FBI information about city projects including the Covid-delayed concert amphitheater scheduled for a summer 2021 opening.
“For her to say that, I was shocked where a colleague says I’m working for the FBI,” says Newton.
Some council members, privately and publicly, wonder if Pereira is surreptitiously recording personal conversations to entice compromising information.
Denese Taylor-Moye, who co-chairs Public Safety, flat out suspects Pereira records conversations.
“I don’t see why the FBI would work with her after she exposed them,” says Taylor-Moye. “What is this, a scare tactic? Who is she trying to scare? If the feds allow her to do that, this is dangerous. She’s not a person someone can work with. I don’t want to be on a committee with her. She’s an ambitious woman. Stay away from me. You’re using us against us.”
Taylor-Moye has a point. Whether Pereira waves pompoms to put people on notice or to peacock importance, federal investigators don’t like it when the bureau becomes a public prop. It diminishes the access and information required to build cases, especially with Pereira’s growing institutional knowledge of the city.
Pereira’s more than happy to be a community resource for federal law enforcement investigating city maneuverings. In a city like Bridgeport federals never really go away; it’s not a question of what they’re investigating but how much and how deep.
Pereira has been unabashed about providing law enforcement agencies dirt on politicians she’s had a falling-out with, be it State Senator Dennis Bradley or school board member Chris Taylor. She painstakingly prepares a thick, organized timeline paper trail that details dubious business relationships, public filings and clandestine maneuverings. Relentless in her hunt, she will share her findings with law enforcement and sometimes media representatives.
It’s like receiving a well-researched brief that falls from the sky. Boom, here ya go.
Pereira chooses not to work professionally allowing her plenty of time dedicated to City Council duties and investigating the guys and dolls of the city.
But in her zeal, irrespective of her motivations to bring transparency to the public good, she undercuts her value by broadcasting her federal relationships, whatever they may be.
See below minutes of meeting from Oct. 6 posted on the City Council website.
Pereira response to OIB:
The minutes you are displaying have not been approved. I never stated I was contacted by the FBI. I contacted the FBI agent that drafted the complaint against Perez & Dunn and she recommended I provide all my documents regarding the amphitheater to the FBI.
I will be meeting with an FBI agent in the next few weeks.
I cannot record any City Council member in City Council President Nieves inner circle as I do not speak with any of them except at duly noticed public meetings. I have repeatedly directed Ernest Newton not to even email me unless my colleagues are on the email and it is related to City Council matters. I have NEVER called or spoken with Denese Taylor Moye outside of City Council meetings. Therefore, it would be impossible to record those you have ZERO verbal communication with outside of City Council meetings.
I only speak with three City Council members outside of City Council meetings. None of them are Aidee Nieves loyalists. In fact, all three do not support Aidee Nieves or Mayor Ganim.
You have a responsibility to be responsible and accurate on your own blog. You should not be disseminating patently false information.
Taylor-Moye responds to Pereira’s statement
:
I do have text messages that Maria has sent me outside of City Council. So regarding whether she has zero communications outside of council that’s not the truth, that’s a lie. I did keep the text messages … and that was outside of City Council. She can rest assured that Denese Taylor-Moye has all the proof on MP about having outside communications and the things she’s said in regards about other council people.
As a elected official you should always think that you are being recorded, just ask Joe Ganim, AJ Perez and David Dunn including your phone.
Freedom of the Press?
Oust the Fig Newtons!
So let’s get this straight. Certain people are concerned that they may have been recorded while doing the peoples business. So what business are they doing for the people where they would be worried about being recorded?
Let me say this to you all. Anything I say a on the City Council any Vote I take. I say to a grand jury. In prison if people didn’t know you the first thing they would say to you is show me your paperwork. Maria has shown Us her paperwork!
So Ernie, who are you Shilling for this week?
I’m going to give you a phrase a old wise man once told me on this blog.
“If you are doing the right thing then you have nothing to worry about” – Ernie Newton on police body cams and police accountability.
The tables have turned, your conversations in the coat of a public official is not grounds for an expectation of privacy 🙂
My suggestion to the CC members is to read OIB because No One on this forum is surprised you were recorded. 🤔😂 If you don’t have anything to hide, recording affects you how, team building trust betrayal? Gotta be more than that!
“I’m shocked,” that all of a sudden that members of the City Council are concern about Maria Pereira when they all knew how Maria acts. Like Maria or not everybody knows where she stands, plus she has a history from her time on the Bridgeport Board Of Education. Again, I must say, “I’m shocked.”
https://youtu.be/SjbPi00k_ME
Wow,where to start with all this..Some things that come to mind I guess.
1.Why are the councilpersons afraid of getting what they say during meetings recorded? If they are doing right by the people they represent,they should WANT to have their words on record..Them not wanting anything recorded tells me the don’t want to anger Joe,which is precisely why this council is powerless.
2.For the sake of argument,let’s say Maria is co-operating with the Feds,why are the councilpersons taken back by that and “on guard” now? If they really want what’s best for our city they should ALL be ready to work with the Feds..
3.And finally this statement by Rev Lee… “Council Member McBride-Lee said that someone was trying to destroy the city of Bridgeport.She said is was wrong to sit there and gloat while making trouble for the city.The council is supposed to be helping the residents,but when people are negative toward the city,it does not help people”
Does McBride-Lee read the newspapers at all??,the person destroying Bpt is the person who she takes orders from,Joe Ganim.Does she realize what he did to our city the first go round??.Does she know he’s at it again??,his hand selected police chief and his personal director have been indicted and have pled guilty,and why??,because Joe wanted Perez to be his chief,Joe didn’t care to follow the rules,he gave orders to make sure Perez was in the top three,the hell with anyone else.Rev Lee,Maria isn’t ‘destroying our city,your BOSS is.
Harvey well said, but don’t let McBride-Lee and those other 16 or 17 CC members off the hook, that take order’s from Felon in Chief to the detriment of Bridgeport. They’re destroying the city with all the lies, deceit and chicanery that they allow the honorable Mayor Ganim to perpetuate on the City they profess to Love. McBride-Lee you’re Destroying the city via complicity!
When JG1 was in progress I was interviewed by the FBI several times. I told them that I didn’t now why they wanted to talk to me because Joe did not consult with me about anything.
They said they were sure of that but they still wanted to talk to me to find out how things were done in the city.
Not once did they tell me I was forbidden from talking to anyone about the meetings. They did not tell me I couldn’t repeat any part of our conversations with anyone.
Now because Lennie was involved and was much more involved then I was And was a cooperating whiteness, he may have been told not to repeat things. But I never was.
When JG1 was in progress I was interviewed by the FBI several times. I told them that I didn’t now why they wanted to talk to me because Joe did not consult with me about anything.
They said they were sure of that but they still wanted to talk to me to find out how things were done in the city.
Not once did they tell me I was forbidden from talking to anyone about the meetings. They did not tell me I couldn’t repeat any part of our conversations with anyone.
Now because Lennie was involved and was much more involved then I was And was a cooperating whiteness, he may have been told not to repeat things. But I never was.
But I guess that depends on your level of involvement.
Just for clarity…..does the Board of Fire Commissioners have the allotted members to hold a quorum? They are scheduled to have a meeting next Tuesday…just asking for a friend
A lot of paranoia!!!!?
Yes Lisa! Isn’t it wonderful!
And a rumor (or truth) that makes people go hmmm goes a long way sometimes. Right Dan? Worried yet? Of course you are. Especially if somehow the city won’t cover the costs right! You didn’t think that when you used to stop in and ask my thoughts on the liquor issue that I thought you were concerned on my behalf did you? Lol!
Go Maria….and give them hell Lisa- at the podium.
Cheers!!!!
Bridgeport is completely off the tracks. The FBI knows that City business dealings are a free-for-all — not the “free-market” type, because ALL “markets” here require a “retainer” by prospective participants…
And we are a city that that has been set-up by the state as a regional patsy/”dumping ground” for regional-project needs that are eschewed and considered quality-of-life/tax-base degrading venues/operations — such as regional sewage-treatment plants, water-front power plants, waste-storage/waste-handling sites… (Norwalk decommissioned and and removed their waterfront power plant even as Bridgeport was inviting two more pollution-belching, waterfront behemoths for location in the midst of what would otherwise be priceless, waterfront land — next to our beautiful Seaside Park… Norwalk now has a priceless piece of waterfront property available for tax-base expansion…)
In any event, this city has nothing going for it, by way of economic viability or the leadership/governance to create such by way of enlightened use of abundant natural assets/historical assets/social capital. Incompetence, indifference, and collusion by way of regional/state hegemony rein in keeping this city poor, dysfunctional — exploitable — and generally a hazard to the health of those living here by virtue of the latter…
The state needs to step in, take over City governance and services, and preside over a redesign of governance/management and tax-base creation of this city…
Perhaps the information possessed by the FBI might provide an impetus for the state to perform its due diligence in this regard, even as it ends its complicity in Bridgeport’s demise…
(Just a side note: I decided to do a little shopping for wardrobe replacement/expansion. I thought that I might try to find a few things in Bridgeport in this regard — keep the $ at home… Then I realized that there aren’t proper retail outlets extant in our city for these purposes, so I went elsewhere… I no longer food-shop in Bridgeport because of the pervasive presence of Sacred Heart COVID “majors” in my nearby Stop-and-Shop… Too many large, SHU, COVID parties in nearby neighborhoods…)
I think that there are probably a few dozen City officials reporting to the FBI about problematic Bridgeport situations — from legal “team” members to CC members… It’s not just Maria. She’s just the only one with the cojones to be up front about her concerns…
Come on, Ned. Time to get involved with the decisive determination of Bridgeport’s fate… Either provide a full rescue and make it viable/livable again, or preside over the harvesting and redistribution of its parts for reincorporation within the regional municipalities that have enjoyed municipal bounty through its destructive exploitation… I’m sure that Trumbull would love to own and support all of the Lake Forest/Whiskey Hill region on the border of which it has constructed a “new city”, and huge tax-base, on the back of Bridgeport infrastructure, with resultant traffic/flooding problems; and the Upper East Side, where it has permitted development on the border causing catastrophic flooding in Bridgeport… Well; let’s just make it all Trumbull — traffic, flooding, imploding neighborhoods, and all of the other “good” stuff!
All of this while 60 years of CC’s and City Hall Administrations have either slept and or enjoyed the exploitation with the burbs, as investors in the burbs or “paid” participants City Hall participants — working for the burbs…
What say you, Ned?!
We need to go higher than Ned to implement remedies to these problems!
Queen Princess, what do you mean by, “We need to go higher than Ned to implement remedies to these problems?”
What are you scare of that has you not using your real name, how can anybody take you seriously? I will not comment any longer to anything you post until you give your real name and hopefully neither no one else.
This is sad. The only thing that gives me hope is that this dysfunctional group is dumb enough to say the quiet part out loud. Let me be clear, as an elected official, I Joseph Sokolovic give everybody and anybody permission (unneeded) to record me anytime I am speaking of business publicly. To be offended and worried about such a manner shows me something about people’s character.
Pray for our city.
Joe, exactly..Most, not all, on this council are afraid of angering the “machine”.A lot of them have family members working for the city, say something Joe doesn’t like( in this case, make him repay every cent of the legal fees he has put on the taxpayers tab defending himself).If they get recorded saying they agree with that, chances are their family member or friend would lose their job.And there are others who are afraid that if they get recorded going against the machine, they won’t get endorsed next cycle.This council is powerless and Joe & Mario want to keep it that way.. Last I heard, Joe & his friend’s legal tab is up to $600,000 or so..
Yes HW, you are exactly correct. Joe and his “friends”. All attendees at the morning espresso table outside Mario’s on Suburban, every one of them. All the ones I’ve been mentioning right here on OIB for how long now? Go figure!! No pattern here right!!
And Lisa, see- A little paranoia is good right?!! Hi Dan, et al !!!!
Cheers!!!!