UPDATE
: Roughly 900 absentee ballot applications were dropped off at Town Clerk’s Office Friday.
In an interview with Channel 8, Democratic candidate for mayor Mary-Jane Foster says her primary opponents Bill Finch and Joe Ganim “are two career politicians who are cut out of the same cloth, they’re one in the same.”
Bridgeport’s high profile primary has received attention from Connecticut media outlets not normally engaged by city politics. Foster is trying to brand herself as an alternative to the heavily financed Finch and Ganim. More from Channel 8 here.
Meanwhile Foster supporter former City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh has sent a follow-up letter to United States Attorney Deirdre Daly asking the feds to step in to monitor the Democratic primary for mayor after Town Clerk Alma Maya’s request for state monitoring, in light of heavy absentee balloting, was rejected by a staff attorney for the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State. The attorney advised Maya to file a complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission if she suspected any funny business. These kinds of requests are rarely granted, but it’s a way for the Foster campaign to place a focus on absentee ballots worked by her opponents. Walsh’s letter:
Dear Attorney Daly,
I find it necessary to renew my request for assistance regarding that Absentee Ballot situation in the city of Bridgeport leading up to a September 16th Democratic Primary for mayor, City Clerk, Town Clerk and several City Council Seats.
Attached is an e-mail that I have obtained which was from the Connecticut Secretary of State’s office to the Town Clerk of the city refusing to intervene in the overseeing of the ballot process.
This was an official request from the duly elected current Town Clerk of the City of Bridgeport seeking supervision and/or monitoring of upcoming primary specifically mentioning the Absentee Ballot process.
An attorney in the SOTS office simply replied “I have also received word that we are unable to supervise your upcoming primary.” No further explanation was given. The state did not claim lack of jurisdiction or lack of compelling evidentiary concerns.
I will remind you that the voters of the state of Connecticut rejected a constitutional amendment that would have created a “no excuse” method of voting by mail instead deciding to stay with a very limited application process. However, now that the state’s assistance has been requested by a city official, the state has turned its back on the situation.
Based on the above I am asking your office to become actively involved in the investigation process.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.
Finch admits taxes have gone up and lays blame on Ganim’s doorstep. That’s laughable. Finch has held office since 2007; Ganim still had three years to serve at that point. Finch and Fabrizi could have taken the initiative to recalibrate the evaluation process but that would have required some brains and a change in priorities. So the 45% increase in taxes are Finch’s fault and no one else’s.
What’s next Bill, “My dog chewed it up?”
This is an exact quote from an attorney in Denise Merrill’s office:
“I have also received word that we are unable to supervise your upcoming primary.”
So what the hell is that supposed to mean? Did Denise tell him to butt out?
Meanwhile Lydia and her people are all over the freakin’ city perpetrating their absentee ballot scam.
Oh my f’n lord! Somebody call the FBI!!!
Oh, that’s right, I did.
Where is retired FBI agent Ed Adams when you need him?
Oh, that’s right, in Ganim’s Headquarters.
Only In Bridgeport.
Sharpens contrast? The contrast is as distinctive as day and night.
Finch and Ganim representing the dark night side of Bridgeport politics and Foster daylight. Let the sun shine in.
Hey Bubba, just so you know. Finch’s camp has called the Secretary of the State’s office and is challenging the supervised balloting at P.T. Barnum. Maybe MJF should join Joe in this one because there will be a legal battle. Let the sun shine in.
Run Wanda, run!
🙂 How does this info get shared? Or is that public information?
I dunno, ask your candidate. He’s got a skill for withholding information.
Joe Ganim is the Darth Vader of Bridgeport politics.
Why challenge a supervised AB process? Just let it fly. You have nothing to fear, right? You are not trying to steal an election or anything (horrors!). There really is a plague going around, for real.
Why is it problematic to have a supervised AB process? Not getting that logic.
Wicca, you said it!
Then the DTC can’t get the money out where numbers are needed. PT is a prime example of where money talks and bullshit walks.
Andy, P. T. Barnum is a Finch stronghold. I was there myself, first-hand info. What would money do? For what candidate? Honestly, enlighten me on the process.
Steve, are you for real, “what would money do?” You really are a novice.
Finch has no friends in PT, they wouldn’t know him if he were standing next to Bob Barker. They are loyal to a former resident whose family was always well liked, who in the past has been a big proponent of the DTC. I would venture a guess the mayor has no “stronghold.” Nothing in life is assured.
Hector A. Diaz, you are one of the few on this blog who knows PT. Steven and Andy are just wrong. Several years ago I spent a little more time working PT. Wanda Geter worked the ABs first and as hard as she could and I did none, when the polling place closed, PT delivered for my horses counting about 40 ABs from Wanda. Won by a few votes, but a victory is a victory.
Steve. You may be right this is a Finch stronghold, but money is needed to get people out to the polls. The money is or has been handed out by WJ. It has also been done in the 138th.
I agree with Mary-Jane. Lydia must be stopped. Enough is enough! Call in the Feds.
You agree with Mary-Jane, are you another Ganim defector?
What makes you think the Feds were not called? Many have argued doing so is a waste of time because they have no jurisdiction. I disrespectfully disagree.
I will say Ganim signs are being replaced with Foster signs here in the North End. I would say she is taking back some votes. I guess that is good for her. I am assuming every home without a sign is voting for Finch! 🙂
Lawn signs don’t vote, sour back.
Hey Troll, you folks are simply making fools of yourselves by trying to get free media attention with arguments that have no standing. Let me start with the special election for State Rep. in the 129th for the seat vacated by Auden Grogins. Mary-Jane Foster endorsed Steve Stafstrom. Despite her endorsement, Steve Stafstrom was defeated by Enrique Torres. It wasn’t until the approximately 108 AB’s were counted that Steve Stafstrom won by about 52 votes. MJF had no qualms about the AB deciding the election in favor of her horse. Am I wrong so far? What was in it for her? BAM!
onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/stafstrom-reels-in-savings-for-bluefish/
Days ago, MJF charged the Ganim and Finch Campaigns were involved in AB fraud and stated she sent a letter to everyone requesting an AB. In it she sets out to warn the voter and has the gall to ask they vote for her via an AB process she calls fraudulent. Does that make any sense? If they don’t vote for her or her horses, then the AB process is a fraud. It’s that simple, eh?
“This was an official request from the duly elected current Town Clerk of the City of Bridgeport seeking supervision and/or monitoring of upcoming primary specifically mentioning the Absentee Ballot process.”
That was Alma Maya. Town Clerk Alma Maya is running on Joe Ganim’s slate. Why would Alma Maya seek supervision and monitoring of the AB process if her campaign was committing AB fraud as MJF has claimed?
“The state did not claim lack of jurisdiction or lack of compelling evidentiary concerns.”
Troll, don’t you think the fact the state entertained and responded to the request made by Alma Maya shows the state has jurisdiction? This is not to say I believe the State is the only one that has jurisdiction over AB related matters. I had that discussion 10 months ago. I won’t give you the details.
The fact there is a large number of AB requests isn’t enough of a compelling concern. It’s highly suspicious obviously. I don’t believe the number of AB requests were as high during the presidential race.
“Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.”
Ed Adams was the only one to ever send his men to contact you to ask questions. Daly will not contact you other than to inform you your complaint has been received.
Run Joe, Run–BACK TO EASTON.
Steve, it’s not the people living there who get paid, it’s the solicitors of AB applications in P.T. Barnum who get paid, either monetarily or by salary increases. The residents are taken by storm, only God knows what they’re told and they sign. With supervised balloting, they vote privately, but with deputized supervisors so they can’t be told who to vote for which is what happens when the solicitors come back when the ballots arrive. This is the oldest practice in Bridgeport politics, not only in this complex, but in many senior buildings; it has happened with other administrations also, but with the blatant abuse of voting by dubious AB ballots, the law is being enforced to try to curb it. The Finch handlers, in particular Adam Wood, made phone calls to the State trying to prevent the supervision. The only thing I don’t know is what he used as justification. By law, any building or complex that generates more than 20 requests for ballots can, at the discretion of the T.C. or Registrar, be supervised. In this election that is being conducted in all senior buildings and housing complexes that fit that criteria. Why would P.T. Barnum be challenged? Steve, I think you answered your own question, it’s a Finch’s stronghold. There’re probably at least 100 potential votes by ab ballot, and residents and seniors are reluctant to do what they have been asked to do, if they actually have to vote while being supervised. Many do, those who have made honest, legal, requests for ballots, but many know why this process is happening and don’t bother to fill in a ballot while being supervised. Steve, I say to you again, I don’t lie or make up stories. As of yesterday this was happening, whether or not they’re successful remains to be seen.
Prediction: Wait and see, after the primary there will be a significant number of AB ballots not returned or mailed back to the town clerk’s office. Like in many times in the past, when asked why is this, the answer you will hear is simply people didn’t send them. There has never been an investigation as to why. Well I have done quite some investigating on this. If elections enforcement won’t investigate or monitor before the primary and election, they won’t do it after. I found many who said they sent the ballot but when I checked the records of ballots received by the Town Clerks Office, their names don’t appear as having voted by AB and many did not vote at the schools. Just a tiny few voted after requesting (allegedly) and receiving (allegedly) the ballots. I filed a complaint (not juicy details, sorry) skipping the toothless, waste of time and money, corrupt SEEC and SOTS. Could it be they know something they are not telling the Joe Ganim and MJF camp and only tipped off the Finch camp? I am aware the regular players in the AB scams have been working behind the scenes and are even taking vacations and keeping records of where they are at every minute of this election cycle. All involved should do the same or you can end up like when Joe Ganim and some associates were left holding the heavy bag. Lennie, care to do an OIB Podcast with me this coming week or are you going to back off Prying Open the Juicy Stuff again? I left you a message on your recorder.