Connecticut’s election watchdog on Wednesday recommended criminal prosecutors investigate allegations that City Councilwoman Maria Pereira collected absentee ballots of senior citizens against state law during the September 2023 Democratic primary for mayor. Pereira supported John Gomes against incumbent Joe Ganim.
Pereira’s primary opponent Kevin Monks who defeated her on the machines to lose via absentee ballots filed a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission accusing Gomes’ key absentee ballot harvester of numerous irregularities backed up by statements from senior citizens.
From the complaint:
“I Charles Ross got my voting ballot. I got help from my aide filling it out and Maria Pereria came and picked it up to mail for me. Maria mails them out for most of the people here.”
State law authorizes a limited amount of figures to touch a voter’s absentee ballot including caretakers, medical designees and police officers.
See complaint filed by Kevin Monks here
Pereira denies the charges.
No doubt, since someone that isn’t afraid to defend herself — or make waves by any legitimate means — is involved, this “prosecution” of Maria Periera will cause reverberations that will shake the foundations of the of the Bridgeport DTC and all of its beneficiaries — all the way up to Ned Lamont (and will maybe even cause the 6,000 “miracle” ballots that came out of Bridgeport in 2010 to save Dan Malloy to get a second look…).
Maria is going to make life “interesting” for a lot of Bridgeport and State pols when she gets her day in court on this one….
@Jeff, I think this is irresponsible speculation.
For what it’s worth, I worked in the Ganim campaign office in 2015 while Maria was helping spearhead AB’s for him alongside Tom Coble. I didn’t see Maria meet one-on-one with the Mayor even ONCE. And the late Tom Coble was an honorable man. He’d never allow bullshittery to occur.
To go back all the way to 2010 is just such a reach though. Let’s focus on the charges at hand.
Will Maria blame anyone and everyone but herself for her violations? I have no doubt
“this “prosecution” of Maria Periera will cause reverberations that will shake the foundations of the of the Bridgeport DTC and all of its beneficiaries”
You mean outside of DTC Chairman, Mario, and Wanda, the vicechair’s efforts to oust G2, and when they failed Mario threw Wanda under the bus for that second bite. 🙂
How does one affidavit of complaint (Kevin Monks) cover a hand full of hearsay letters?