BRIDGEPORT – It’s going to be at least two weeks for the teams on both sides of the current absentee ballot case to receive and go through “10,000 pages of absentee ballot documents from the State Elections Enforcement Commission, and 2,100 hours of police surveillance video.” Court will resume on October 11. In the meantime both parties will meet with Superior Court Judge William Clark on Friday for a scheduling meeting to ensure things are moving forward in a timely manner.

Lawyers representing Bridgeport city officials also requested that the SEEC make all relevant complaints available – presumably because there’s speculation of a complaint involving a John Gomes supporter, councilwoman Maria Pereira in an elderly woman’s apartment at the Fireside elderly and disabled apartment complex looking for the woman’s absentee ballot. A lawyer representing the SEEC asked that they put that request in writing noting there are currently other investigations into Bridgeport absentee ballots. 

Attorney Bill Bloss of Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder PC representing Gomes also told the judge that he has subpoenaed Wanda Geter-Pataky, the woman alleged to be in a shocking video stuffing absentee ballots into the Ballot Drop Box located at 999 Broad Street. Wanda is the Vice Chairperson of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee, District Leader in the 136th City Council District and a city employee.

Due to the request for more time to comb through the absentee ballot documents and video surveillance no one was called to the stand at Monday’s hearing. 

Acknowledging the intense public interest in the case Judge Clark addressed the media. This statement appeared in the CT Post article, Judge pauses Bridgeport primary challenge, awaits 10,000 pages of ballot documents

There is a lot of documents that need to be reviewed, we will be getting to evidence in this case in short order,” the judge said. “My hope is that the next time we meet someone will be in this witness box,” he added, motioning to the witness stand.

The courtroom was packed with concerned Bridgeport residents, city and state elected officials and the media. Notably, Mayor Joe Ganim was a no-show, which fits his pattern of behavior.