On Thursday morning City Councilwoman Maria Pereira, a supporter of mayoral candidate John Gomes, breached the vacated home of an elderly woman in search of her absentee ballot, a hallmark of Pereira’s aggressive campaigning. It was caught on camera.
Video surveillance captures Pereira rummaging through the octogenarian’s mail for an absentee ballot Pereira had the full expectation would deliver a vote for her and Gomes. Had it been filled out a different way, be sure Pereira would have had a conversation with her constituent to remedy her hanky-panky situation.
Apparently, the ballot was not located. And, perhaps, the camera was installed by the daughter of the elderly woman for such a reason, her dementia-suffering mother manipulated regularly by a greedy politician.
Just two hours later Gomes and his Campaign Manager Christine Bartlett-Josie conducted a news conference at the East Main Street headquarters, flanked by a team of candidate supporters, decrying (oh my) absentee ballot abuses in the city, with not nearly the specificity that their own AB-manipulator Pereira had handed to local investigators captured on film.
One day later the narrative Gomes and Bartlett-Josie floated blew up in their faces, led by their own political operative who vowed never to support John Gomes but rationalized a reason in her conflicted duality.
It’s what Pereira does, in everything she does.
Pereira’s zeal to bag, literally, another absentee ballot vote now is in the hands of city and state investigators to determine if laws were broken by her entry and search for an absentee ballot, in an elderly woman’s home, when state law is clear: you cannot touch a ballot of another unless an immediate family member or caretaker.
Pereira, an enveloping personality, is neither.
Pereira claims dubiously the elderly woman gave her permission to look for the ballot if she wasn’t home. That’s her rationale, anyway. Seriously, who says: if I’m not home, find my ballot? Maybe Pereira said: if you’re not home, I’ll find it. Pereira’s motivation to bag that ballot was far more prioritizing.
See, here’s how this stuff works: Pereira lobbies senior citizen electors, living in public housing, to vote by absentee, votes in the bank. Pereira regales them with belly-dancing and Michael Jackson impersonation events to win them over. Absentee ballot applications are disseminated to the elderly amid the entertainment. Then the follow up chase begins to make sure the actual ballot, mailed by the Town Clerk’s Office, is filled out according to Pereira’s specifications that have become notorious among senior voters in her district.
“I voted for the mayor,” a senior citizen in Pereira’s district told me of her absentee vote. “She screamed at me, I couldn’t. She scares us.”
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Then Pereira explains how the voter may cancel out the absentee vote. One way is showing up to the polls to vote, canceling the absentee vote.
Meanwhile, Pereira is quick to excoriate any politician she deems runs afoul of state laws for the thinnest of hang nails, knighting herself the queen of morality while her dark side looms..
The bottom line: it was far more important for Pereira to bag another absentee vote in her favor, even if it meant breaching an elderly woman’s home while she was not there.
This is not the narrative Gomes wanted in the final days of the campaign. See, Pereira may help you here, but what’s the down side there?
In the end, Pereira cares about one thing…herself.
Too many here have made premature decisions.
In busines, changing posituions is pragmatic, in politics it’s called flip-flopping.
If she’s blame-free, I expect jaw-dropping posts from today’s posters about the most celebrated personality in OIB history.
Lennie, is MP simply “a supporter of mayoral candidate John Gomes” or also a paid staffer of the John Gomes campaign?
Maria, B&E for an AB Never!
How is it that (extrapolating from the silence in this regard) no-one from the media has made an attempt to corroborate Maria’s assertion that she was granted access to the elderly woman’s apartment — by the elderly woman — to search for the missing ballot? Now; it wouldn’t seem that simply locating the ballot, without altering it, or prevailing upon the elderly woman to alter it, would constitute a breach of absentee ballot restrictions… In any event, since she never actually located the ballot, and therefore couldn’t alter it (nor influence the ABSENT voter’s choice, in this regard) no claim of absentee ballot fraud should carry any water with the SEEC or any court of law… Case closed!
The real issue here is whether or not Maria had the tenant’s permission to enter the apartment. If she did, there is no legal harm done — in any context… (There is no election law/regulation that allows for prosecution for “POSSIBLE INTENT to violate election law” — is there?! Nor is there any election law that prohibits “campaigning too aggressively”…)
The only piece of this puzzle that is missing is whether or not Maria had permission to enter the woman’s apartment in the context and manner in which she gained access and later searched for the document. If she had permission, then CASE CLOSED, at least in regard to any legal issues… (But this should certainly serve as a wake-up call in regard to sensible campaigning/voter contact in Bridgeport elections…)
HELLO, LAMOND!!! THEY’RE HOLDING THE DOORS TO BOTH CITY HALLS OPEN FOR YOU!! DON’T FORGET TO SHOW UP AT THE POLLS ON PRIMARY DAY TO MEET AND GREET THE PEOPLE THAT PROBABLY WANT TO ELECT YOU MAYOR!!!
Jeff, based on original account of the incident. The apartment owner came back and noticed that tha camera had detected an entry and had recording.
Upon checking the video she saw the footage and then went to the building Management to report her findings. She may have left the door unlocked (not “ajar”) as few knew she had a camera. She apparently didn’t know who the woman on the video was or wasn’t sure who it was. Why would someone concerned with her security (reason for the camera) leave the door ajar or unlocked. I understand that Maria Pereira had someone from the office open the door for her.
It’s a know fact that campaigns use paid/bribed residents and housing employees to assist them in AB operations. This has been taking place for over 35 years and I’ve touched on this tactic during my 18 plus years on this webzine. When John Ricci and the likes of him are involved, anything goes.
I hope the Bridgeport Police Department doesn’t pick-up this Pereira complaint like they did with my complaint over 2.5 years ago. When I called the police to file my complaint, Officer Pires (Portuguese) was dispatched. He wrote down the details of my complaint, he asked me what was Maria Pereira’s address. I told him I have it inside, I get it in a few. He responded, “No need to do that, I know who she is.” I clearly told him, Maria Pereira the Council woman of the 138th district. “Yea, I know who she is,” he asserted.
The Detective Bureau assured my that Maria Pereira had been warned and blah, blah, blah. many months later, friends of mine informed me that Maria Pereira (the councilmember) had in fact denied being the one who made the vile assault on my two autistic daughter and my wife. As proof of her innocence. She produced a copy if the police report of my complaint where Officer Pires reported the wrong Maria Pereira.
Lennie, please put the story and let everyone see the date of birth and address of the wrong Maria Pereira.
For those sorry ass, Maria Pereira defenders here, and those wasting their effort in clicking the thumbs-up button of those sorry ass losers, go shove ABs up your mother’s ass. You’re all dead to me!
You’re right. “Classy” is a good term to describe the way you operate — your classiness is evidenced in your latest post!
(palms outstretched to the sky) I come here for the kind of abuse I can’t find anywhere else.
Sounds like you actually followed my suggestion and your dear mother is pain. Give her a few tokes of your joint and call me in the morning. How’s that for cl(ass)y.
Look, Local Eyes! Jimfox gave you a thumbs-up.
Misdirection is afoot at ballot time once again in Bridgeport.
Conflicting narratives without facts from a principal impugn Perriera’s actions “assuming she had resident permissions, freely and ably given” ask us to do what? Spend public safety time and money on police investigation relative to a political activist present seeking a second ballot sent out to her? While several City administrations have ignored each Mayor’s responsibility to appoint local citizens and voters to maintain Boards and Commissions at full and current representation, FAIR Rent and FAIR Housing groups have died for want of enough current membership to conduct business. FAIR is not fair in Bridgeport with more than 50% of residents are renters, without specific housing representation.
HUD provides tens of millions annually to owners of private property like Stratfield Housing on Main Street and many others. Other HUD funding supports Park City Community operations which barely has risen into passing grades with a 62 from HUD last year. But where is the reporting about the extent of such housing in the City, the funding that flows from Federal Income taxes, and the situation of tenants with issues or concerns. How do they let their problems be heard and noted for action. Where are the Tenant orgainizations where 50, 100, or more residents can use the power of numbers other than at election time, to be noted? Has Park City Communities sought to build this type of strength into the “governance lives” of the many neighborhood residents living in such situations? Has Ganim2 addressed the situation or has he left open the door, after multiple terms, for the City Council to do his job in reviving a Fair Rent group?
Keep your eyes on caring, enlightened, and energetic Council persons when you vote. Vote informed. Time will tell.
JML, you still unaffiliated or have you become a Dem to vote in this primary?
Watch JML, ask you to clarify your question.
For those wondering how this turn of event evolved: In conversations I had with Joe Ganim operatives (at least 4 of them) I made it clear that Pereira was Gome’s weakest link. Her method of operation and thinking is simply predictable. One day I got a call from one operative expressing a deep concern and frustration over the dirty tactics by Gome’s operatives. Maria Pereira can and must be caught on video doing her thing to leave little or no doubt as to the two faces of MP. One problem was that the two Council member candidates on team Ganim as well as most operatives in the 138th were scared of Pereira by most indications.
A short time later, I called Ernie Newton. It was like 11 p.m. and as usual he answered the phone. I cut through the chase and said to Ernie, “Have Eneida Martinez call or text ASAP, she has more balls than you or anyone else.” Ernie didn’t expect that fast(ball). Eneida called me back in a minute like a classy Speedy. I made it clear to her that the only way to stop the Military Police is to catch her on video and if anyone could do it, it’s us as she and I have the balls and time to make it happen.
I was caught by surprise when I was sent the caption of the video. I’m sure MP was much more surprised when she got wind of it.
ALERT: The Gome’s campaig are setting up similar means to try to flip the scrip. To those who don’t like the results obtained, I “flip” the Peace Sign with my left hand.
Wowww I can’t believe what I’m seeing on OIB first of all Maria is a candidate running for office she shouldn’t be looking 👀 for an Absentee ballot or touching them at all. She’s not related to this senior citizen. She should be arrested. If the shoe was on the other foot. Maria would be calling the SEEC the FBI file criminal charges. She is more shocked on getting caught.