February 24, 2025 – In November 2024, the American electorate voted to return an election denier, insurrectionist, racist, and convicted felon to the Presidency. And since his inauguration, Donald Trump has governed with a fascist agenda, without regard for the rule of law, separation of powers, and our Constitution. 

Trump and his ilk wouldn’t be possible if people like Joe Ganim, Mario Testa and their enablers didn’t groom folks on the local level to accept the unacceptable. To ignore red flags, justify illegal and criminal behavior, launch disinformation campaigns, and deny and defraud Bridgeport voters of the democracy we deserve.

A Local Government In Crisis

Bridgeport’s local government, much like our federal government, is in a state of crisis. 

On Friday, “five people, including three Bridgeport council members and the vice chairwoman of the city’s Democratic party were charged with election-related crimes as part of a sprawling investigation into the city’s 2023 Democratic primary, which resulted in widespread allegations of absentee ballot fraud and a judge overturning the results of that election.”

Charged on a total of over 140 counts were City Council members Alfredo Castillo, Maria Pereira, and Jazmarie Melendez, as well as vice-chair Wanda Geter-Pataky, a Democratic operative and former City Hall employee, and Margaret Joyce, 45, of Stratford. All five were released on promises to appear at the Golden Hill Street courthouse March 6.

“Castillo and Geter-Pataky are already facing separate criminal charges for allegedly taking possession of voters’ absentee ballots during Bridgeport’s 2019 Democratic mayoral primary.

These arrests come on the heels of the June 2024 arrests of four people in connection with absentee ballot fraud during Bridgeport’s 2019 Democratic primary.

As reported in the CT Mirror, “Castillo and Geter-Pataky are already facing separate criminal charges for allegedly taking possession of voters’ absentee ballots during Bridgeport’s 2019 Democratic mayoral primary. Both of them are also close allies of Ganim… Pereira and Melendez, on the other hand, were supporters of Gomes, who was seeking to unseat Ganim after working within the mayor’s administration.”

The arrests also come after two other City Council members, East End Council Rep. Eneida Martinez and City Council President Aidee Nieves have been referred to the Chief State’s Attorney for possible criminal prosecution.

Resign and Spill The Beans

For the good of our city and our democracy THEY SHOULD ALL RESIGN. And, they need to start talking.

Enough is enough. The people of Bridgeport deserve a City Council and Mayoral administration that is not constantly embroiled in scandal. The decades long culture of corruption and election stealing has caused immeasurable harm to Bridgeport residents. So while the Chief’s States Attorney appears to be serious about holding people accountable for their criminal behavior, we, the people, deserve and demand justice, now.

Elected officials accused of rigging elections on their own behalf or someone else’s cannot be trusted to govern with integrity and transparency. It is time for them to do the right thing by the people of Bridgeport. Put the people of Bridgeport first. Resign and fight your legal battles on your personal time. We deserve elected officials who are solely focused on solving our problems. Problems like education funding, housing, public safety, and more.

Wanda Geter-Pataky, Alfredo Castillo, Maria Pereira, Jazmarie Melendez, Aidee Nieves, and Eneida Martinez should resign and spill the beans on whatever they know about a broader conspiracy to rig Bridgeport’s elections.

Patrick Griffin, Connecticut’s Chief State’s Attorney, released a statement saying “the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney takes allegations of voter fraud seriously. To protect the integrity of our voting process in Connecticut, it is important that our elections are fair and free from fraudulent activity and criminal intent.”

Wanda Geter-Pataky, Alfredo Castillo, Maria Pereira, Jazmarie Melendez, Aidee Nieves, and Eneida Martinez should resign from the Democratic Town Committee and City Council and spill the beans on whatever they know about a broader conspiracy to rig Bridgeport’s elections.

On whose behalf were they instructed to harvest ballots? Who recruited, hired and paid the lower level campaign workers to go door-to-door? Who trained them? Who gave them the list of voters whose ballots they should harvest? Outside of the Ganim and Gomes campaigns, who else in city government assisted?  

So far, Ganim and Testa have avoided any measure of accountability for the actions their operatives have played in propping them up and protecting the system and power they covet. 

But that could soon change…