Original Article By Jim Hoft At TheGatewayPundit.com:
A Democrat Judge in Connecticut overturned the results of the Bridgeport Democratic mayoral primary.
Superior Court Judge William Clark ordered a new election to be held, citing bombshell video evidence of election fraud as the basis for his decision. The ruling has far-reaching implications, not just for Bridgeport but for the entire country, as it sets a precedent for ongoing and future cases involving mail-in ballot fraud.
The Gateway Pundit reported in September that mayoral candidate John Gomes’ campaign released a damning video showing evidence of election fraud in the Bridgeport Democratic primary. The video has prompted an investigation by the Bridgeport Police Department for “possible misconduct.”
The video on the Gomes campaign’s Facebook page shows a woman dropping stacks of ‘illegal’ ballots into an absentee ballot box outside the Bridgeport government center, where the city’s Registrar of Voters office is located.
The Gomes campaign was able to identify the woman in the footage as Wanda Geter-Pataky, the Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic Town Clerk and a vocal supporter of incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim, who is seeking reelection. Gomes’ campaign claims that the video shows Geter-Pataky dropping off stacks of absentee ballots ahead of the September 12th primary.
“Video surveillance proving that the mayoral election was unequivocally stolen through corruption within City Hall by tampering with absentee ballots,” John Gomes said on his Facebook page.
“This is an undeniable act of voter suppression and a huge civil rights violation. It’s time to restore lasting credibility to our city’s democracy. Once and for ALL. Enough is enough!” he added.
Gomes lost to incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim in the Democratic primary by a narrow margin of 251 votes, according to the most recent preliminary count posted on the Secretary of the State’s website. Ganim won the absentee vote tally 1,545 to 779, while Gomes led on the voting machines.
The Bridgeport Police Department confirmed that they are actively investigating the actions shown in the video.
“The Bridgeport Police Department are actively investigating information regarding possible misconduct based upon a video that has surfaced on social media,” the department told CT Mirror.
The police department is investigating how the video was obtained and released to the public.
“The Bridgeport Police Department immediately initiated an investigation to determine if any criminal wrongdoing has occurred. In addition, an internal investigation is being conducted to determine if any possible breach to our security video management system has occurred,” it added.
Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter said the department takes “these actions seriously and we will pursue possible criminal prosecution and/or administrative discipline as it relates to any such security violations.”
During the first hearing, Bridgeport Democratic Registrar of Voters Patricia Howard admitted in court that she had not been following Connecticut law regarding the handling of mail-in ballots. The law mandates that each absentee ballot must be signed off by the town clerk, and if this requirement is not met, the ballot cannot be counted.
On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge William Clark ordered a new election just days before the general election scheduled for November 7, Connecticut Public reported.
Judge Clark determined that the allegations of possible malfeasance were serious enough to warrant the overturning of the September 12 primary results, which Ganim had won by a margin of 251 votes out of 8,173 cast.
“The volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election into serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary.” Clark said, adding that the videos “are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all the parties.”
Gomes hailed the ruling as “a victory for the people of Bridgeport,” emphasizing that his campaign had always believed in upholding the integrity of the democratic process. His lawyer, Bill Bloss, stated, “At the end of the day, the videos don’t lie. The videos showed substantial, massive absentee ballot misconduct.”
On the other hand, Ganim said he would consult his lawyers about a possible appeal and encouraged residents to vote in Tuesday’s election, stating, “Let’s send a powerful message that we want to keep the progress going in Bridgeport.”
Despite the judge’s order, it remains unclear whether a new primary will be necessary. Lawyers for both parties indicated that the outcome of next week’s general election could influence that decision. Gomes, who has the endorsement of a minor party, will also be on Tuesday’s ballot. A win for him in the general election could effectively end the litigation, CT Public reported.
John Gomes issued a statement following the court ruling:
Today, Lady Justice fulfilled her duty. She attentively heard the voices of the people of Bridgeport, carefully considered the facts, and impartially applied the law, as justice should always be served.
In this moment, we commemorate the significance of this decision by the Honorable Judge William Clark. I’m no stranger to competition or politics, and I understand that in life, we experience both victories and losses. We must continue to show up, give our best, accept the decisions, and move forward with integrity and respect. However, when there is wrongdoing, it must be addressed, and we have shown that in the courtroom.
The victory today belongs not only to me as the Plaintiff but to all the people of Bridgeport who were wronged in the numerous ways detailed in Judge Clark’s remarkable decision. Today, democracy prevails.
Our campaign was designed to give a voice to the marginalized people of Bridgeport who have been overshadowed by a small group in the electoral process. Today, our faith has been restored, and we must carry this spark of hope into the upcoming general election.
As the people of Bridgeport, we will take this victory lap and continue to navigate the path ahead while upholding transparency as our guiding principle.
This is not the first time that a Democrat has been involved in voting fraud. New Jersey’s Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has added new charges to an ongoing election fraud case involving Democrat Alex Mendez, the Paterson City Council President, and several alleged co-conspirators. According to the Attorney General, the defendants are accused of attempting to rig the election, tampering with ballots, and obstructing the course of justice through witness tampering.
Mendez was initially indicted on election fraud charges in 2021. Now, fresh charges have been brought against him, his wife Yohanny Mendez, and two other Paterson residents, Omar Ledesma and Iris Rigo. The revelations came after an extensive investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), which itself was prompted when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found hundreds of mail-in ballots for the May 2020 Paterson municipal election suspiciously stashed in a mailbox in a neighboring municipality.
In the wake of the Bridgeport and New Jersey scandal, it’s worth noting the glaring double standard that exists in how the justice system and the media treat allegations of election fraud, depending on the party involved.
Republicans have been vocal about their concerns regarding the integrity of the 2020 Presidential election, only to be dismissed by mainstream media outlets and other institutions that insist the election was secure. Yet, when a Democrat is involved in a similar scandal, the justice system seems more willing to take action, and the media appears more open to covering it.
Here is more from George Behizy.
The clerk admitted under oath she had been violating the law for years.
