The testimony, the charges, the counter charges, the legal briefs and oral arguments have finally come to an end in the complaint challenging the results of the September 10 Democratic primary in which Mayor Joe Ganim is the certified winner by 270 votes over challenger Marilyn Moore whose supporters financed the allegations now before Judge Barry Stevens.
The judge is expected to make a ruling next week.
At issue is a mistake in the counting of the votes cast, per state statute. Plaintiffs assert systematic irregularities of absentee ballots altered the outcome.
Have the plaintiffs met that burden? Both sides presented closing arguments on Wednesday.
CT Post reporter Ken Dixon was in the courtroom:
Stevens told plaintiffs’ attorneys Prerna Rao and Jonathan Shapiro that he rejected the premise that the irregularities, including the changing of voter addresses, put the results of the Sept. 10 primary in doubt.
“We’re not required to prove that the results of the election would have been different but for those irregularities,” Shapiro said. “It’s about the reliability of the process, your honor. It’s much more than just a counting exercise as the defendants want this to be. It’s not just one, two, three, four, five.”
Stevens interrupted Shapiro. “That proposition you just made, I’m not accepting that proposition,” he said of the prevailing state statutes that require enough errors in the counting of ballots to suggest that a different result might have occurred. “To the extent that you think I’m incorrect, go right ahead, sir.”
Meanwhile Deputy City Attorney John Bohannan asserted the plaintiffs fell far short of meeting the burden of proof.
“What your honor has heard is a partisan political attack. These people represented Bridgeport Gen Now, they decided they wanted to overturn an election because they don’t like what happened. Their candidate lost. You have to show the results of the election are seriously in doubt. They are not contesting a mistake in the count of the vote. They picked and nitpicked at nothing your honor. Instead, they want you to engage in conjecture.”
Full Post story here.
“We’re not required to prove that the results of the election would have been different but for those irregularities,” Shapiro said. “
{” We are here because there is evidence of widespread systematic disregard for statutory safeguards in both the campaign and the city of Bridgeport, and thus the election results are not reliable,” Rao said. “There is more than sufficient evidence before this court to establish that this is a deeply entrenched problem within the city and to the surprise of no one, this primary was ripe for absentee ballot abuse.”}
Looks like Shapiro is so confused he forgot his own opening argument. That must have gone over well with people who have had sit through this farce.
It’s not the count! It’s the Flucking cheating!!!
This reminds me of one of those movies on Lifetime channel, where the stalker is in the next room and the cops are at the front door talking to the lady yet the cops leave because they cant find anything, and well you know the rest. WE shall see. I hope this leads to some sort of reform,
All We have heard about nationally was concerns about Russians interfering with US elections, yet its seems to be perfectly fine to allow Americans to meddle in our own elections, This may or may not be the case on both accounts, however wouldn’t we like to actually know we can trust election results completely and these court cases would not be needed at all because everyone would be able to accept the results?
Attorney Rao representing BGNV and P.T. Partners on behalf of Marilyn Moore had submitted an AB application for a Carmen Perez located at Augustana Homes in the 138th District as an exhibit supporting AB fraud.
Judge Stevens asked her to explain the relevance of that exhibit.
Attorney Rao stated that although the application was for a Carmen Perez located at Augustana Homes there was a sticky note on it indicating it was mailed to a Carmen Perez residing in another district on Central Ave. That simply means that there was a Carmen Perez located at that address with the same or very similar birthday.
I am sure there are quite a few “Carmen Perez'” residing in Bridgeport.
No one testified to that fact and Attorney Rao just decided to offer her own testimony on this particular AB application with no evidence to support her assertions which was pretty outrageous.
This particular AB application was filled out and submitted by me.
Carmen Perez barely speaks any English and moved to Augustana Homes from Shelton. She has a severely disabled 52 year old daughter that is the size of a 5th Grader. She sleeps in a large crib and always in restraints because she commits self inflicted injuries.
I registered Carmen Perez to vote in 2018. After the AB Report came out I went to her home with a sample ballot and instructions in Spanish. Ms. Perez was adamant she had not received it.
I went downtown to the Town Clerk’s office and signed out a Green Replacement Application, drove back to her home, had her sign it and submitted it to the Town Clerk.
Ms. Perez still did not receive her ballot. It was then I realized there had to be another problem. It turned out that she was somehow no longer a registered voter.
I completed a new voter registration card, had her sign it and submitted it to the Registrar.
Then, and only then, did the Town Clerk release her absentee ballot to Carmen Perez located at 525 Palisade Ave. Ms. Perez’ ballot did not arrive back by September 10th although she was adamant she had mailed it.
The ballot was NEVER mailed to a Carmen Perez at a totally different address in a completely different district.
Here is a perfect example of an absolute lie perpetuated by BGNV’s attorneys so that they could convince Judge Stevens to throw out a Primary where over 10,000 Bridgeport residents voted.
Maria Pereira. I respect you but I completely reject your mistaken analysis and your hearsay comments and your exaggerated analysis of BptGenNow. Maria,I think if we sat down and talked we would have more in common than differences. I do realize that the BptGenNow lawsuit makes your campaign doubly difficult but that is not a reason to malign a group of people ,IMHO,that are trying to make a positive difference in governance of the City of Bridgeport. I WILL defend BptGenNow against all the mis-information that is being thrown at them.
Frank, you are the one providing “heresay” information.
I provided a ‘first hand” account regarding my “first hand” interaction with Carmen Perez and my “first hand” account of what occurred in the courtroom yesterday
Frank, you cannot claim the same.
Uh Huh RIGHT!
Poor Carmen Perez,she sounds like she has her hands full,hardly understanding english, taking care of her disabled daughter,and basically just trying to survive.I would think the last thing this poor woman needs is people badgering her about AB’s,registering to vote etc..I bet there are alot of people like”Carmen Perez'” in Bpt.
Harvey, most people would agree a 100% but not Maria because she her only concern was to get Ms Perz vote, Maria had no empathy for Ms Perez it was all about that vote for Maria.
Harvey,
Carmen Perez, like many single women, have incredible strength and can actually handle challenging circumstances on multiple fronts.
Of course it would be a man/men that would portray Carmen Perez as a “poor woman” so overwhelmed by her set of circumstances that she cannot possibly want to vote. This is sexist. I doubt if I wrote this comment about a man that he would be portrayed as a “poor man.”
Carmen Perez is such a “strong woman” that although she has cared for her severely disabled daughter for 52 years and continued to do so after her loving husband’s death, she wanted to make sure she voted.
She opened her door every time I knocked on her door with a hug and a kiss.
Do not portray Carmen Perez as a weak, poor,overburdened woman.
She has showed more courage and strength than most men I know and has faced overwhelmingly circumstances without whining or complaining.
She has simply done what mothers do which is love their child in the way that only a mother can.
Listen up “guys,” Carmen Perez and the millions like her can actually deal with lifes curve balls and still want to exercise their right to vote.
Paging the SEEC
Paging the SEEC
Bob,
And exactly why would you be paying the SEEC?
Inquiring minds want to know.:)
Oops! I meant paging not paying.
Bob, what Maria did is the classic example of harassing a voter. Maria had no empathy for Ms Perez it was all about that vote for Maria.
What a waste of time and tax payer dollars.
What a waste of time and tax payer dollars.
I think that the perfect example of an absolute lie is being perpetuated by none other than Maria. That $1000 donation from John Ricci also came with explicit instructions on how to beat the system through absentee ballots! Give her a hand OIB because she learned the DTC craft extremely well.
On by the way Day and Mackey,
John Ricci just gave me a $200 donation for our Board of Ed. race.
What a great friend John Ricci has been to me.
Read all about it in my next Finance Report. 🙂
Wait a minute, this is Maria Pereira good friend, John Ricci, who gave Maria $1000.00 for her run for the City Council and has given Maria $200 for her run for the BBOE. Is this the same John Ricci who is the article in the Connecticut?
“Sex harassment complaints filed against Bridgeport official whose department is under FBI probe”
By Brian Lockhart Updated 11:28 pm EDT, Thursday, April 18, 2019
“I was afraid to reject his advances too forcefully because he was so powerful in the workplace,” Goncalves told the CHRO.
The complaints, obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, allege that Ricci offered Goncalves a private office to accommodate an illness and Miro a promotion from a temporary to full-time job, then turned on both when each refused to be his girlfriend.
Ricci is arguably one of the most influential men in Bridgeport City Hall and in local politics. Besides being the public facilities chief, he is a behind-the-scenes campaign aide for Mayor Joe Ganim and a close friend of Democratic Town Chairman Mario Testa.
https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Sex-harassment-complaints-filed-against-13779116.php
Mr. Mackey,
I also testified on behalf of John Ricci at his CHRO Hearing and against Lisa Miro based on something I personally witnessed.
Goncalves is Portuguese and has a less than stellar reputation in the Portuguese community.
I was more than happy to testify on John Ricci’s behalf by simply stating the truth.
Ms Pereira, I’m sure you did and that you were more than happy to testify on John Ricci, that’s $1200.00 can rent a person, quid pro quo.
Mr. Day,
John Ricci couldn’t teach me a thing about absentee ballots, but I could probably teach him a thing or two about absentee ballots.
I could have taught Marilyn Moore and her campaign tons about absentee ballots, but I didn’t. As a result she went down in flames on September 10th.
And I mean down in flames as like an inferno. 🙂
Ms Pereira, of course, you have been rented for $1200.00 so Mario and Joe Ganim nothing to worry about from you being critical of them and the DTC, that’s cheap just $1200.00 but that’s the cost to rent Maria Pereira silence.
Marilyn Moore did not go down in flames as the exaggerations and embellishments continue. Marilyn Moore best Joe Ganim on the machines. Which is similar to your campaign. You did not win on the machines. No matter what you say. That fact will remain. You DID NOT get the most votes on the machines on Election Day. And you know exactly who got more votes than you on the machines/primary day.
There must be a voter by the same name, with the same birthdate somewhere else in Bridgeport. REALLY.
But this voter swears she mailed the ballot back. Twice. REALLY
If nothing else Maria is proving the process is F’d up and you cannot have an honest election in Bridgeport. PERIOD.
Bob,
There is another Maria H. Pereira born on June 1967 residing in Bridgeport.
In fact, people have often assumed I was her although we look nothing alike.
What are the chances that we would have the exact same middle initial?
There are many more Carmen Perez’ residing in Bridgeport than there are Maria H. Pereiras.
Oh, and I forgot, they somehow became unregistered. DOUBLE REALLY.
Maria,I am in no way sexist,I was raised by a strong woman and continue to be friends with many strong women,and if Carmen Lopez was a man,I would still refer to him as “poor Carmen Lopez”.I stand by my opinion that you badgering her for a vote is the last thing she needs.
So how many times have you voted for the other Maria?
A) The Town Clerk is incompetent
B) Everyone who works in the Town Clerk office is incompetent
C) The Registrar of Voters is incompetent
D) All of the people who work in the Registrars office is incompetent
E) All of the above
Don’t know the correct answer but you can be sure the one thing we do know is there can not be a fair election I the city
Even Maria agrees with that.
Christina, Resto, Joshua Diaz and the vast majority of the staff in the Town Clerk’s office are non-partisan and consummate professionals that do a very good job while being inundated with absentee ballots.
I have absolute faith in the Town Clerk’s office.
The Registrar’s office is completely partisan with significant others, children and relatives working for high level Registrars and Deputy Registrars.
Several consult with Mario Testa and high level members of the corrupt DTC and to get their marching orders.
The Registrars office is definitely a problem.
Ms Pereira, you specifically left out the name of the City Clerk, why?
Mr. Mackey,
Neither Bob or I made ANY reference to the City Clerk either by position or name.
Ms Pereira, my question was not to Bob, I asked you because you said, “Christina, Resto, Joshua Diaz and the vast majority of the staff in the Town Clerk’s office are non-partisan and consummate professionals that do a very good job while being inundated with absentee ballots.” “I have absolute faith in the Town Clerk’s office.” Ms Pereira, you specifically left out the name of the City Clerk, why?
I responded to Bob’s post in which he said not reference the City Clerk.
He only referenced the Registrar and Town Clerk.
It appears you don’t know the difference between the City Clerk and the Town Clerk.
Ms Pereira, my question to you had absolution nothing to do with Bob, it was strictly for you, I know how to contact Bob if I have a question for him. Ms Pereira, you specifically left out the name of the City Clerk, why? Ms Pereira, do you have a problem of giving the Town Clerk when you said, “Christina, Resto, Joshua Diaz and the vast majority of the staff in the Town Clerk’s office are non-partisan and consummate professionals that do a very good job while being inundated with absentee ballots?”