On February 21, 2025, Wanda Geter-Pataky, vice chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Party in Connecticut, turned herself in to state police on new election fraud charges stemming from the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary. She was previously caught on video stuffing absentee ballot boxes during the race between incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes.
For context, this arrest is part of a broader investigation that led to charges against five individuals, including three city council members, for tampering with absentee ballots, including misleading voters about eligibility, influencing votes, and violating handling rules. Ganim won a court-ordered redo election.
The video of her surrender shows Geter-Pataky, accompanied by family, entering the police barracks while ignoring reporters’ questions, such as “Wanda, any comment on the new charges?” Many drew attention to the blatant corruption in this election.
Shocking the nation, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin announced charges against four Bridgeport Democratic operatives, Alfredo Castillo, Wanda Geter-Pataky, Nilsa Heredia, and Josephine Edmonds, for election fraud involving absentee ballots during the 2019 and 2023 primaries.
These defendants are accused of unlawfully possessing ballots, misrepresenting eligibility, instructing voters on candidate selection, failing to sign as assisters, and tampering with witnesses. Geter-Pataky faces over 90 charges.
In a breaking post to social media, one user noted, “BREAKING UPDATE: Wanda Geter-Pataky, the vice chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Party, turned herself in at the state police barracks in Bridgeport on new charges related to the 2023 election when she was caught stuffing ballot boxes. Meanwhile, Democrats and the media insist there’s no election fraud.”
Providing much-needed context, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin issued a press release. “Geter-Pataky is accused of failing to sign as an assister on an absentee ballot application that she had filled out on behalf of a prospective voter and misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot,” the document read.
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Apparently, the initial investigation began “when she reportedly told a citizen not to vote in person and that she would pick up the citizen’s absentee ballot. The citizen later told SEEC investigators that the defendant told her not to speak to anyone about the matter.”
Continuing the breakdown, the attorney added, “Court records show Heredia instructed prospective voters on which candidate to select on their absentee ballots and misrepresented eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot. The defendant admitted to SEEC investigators that she did not submit an absentee ballot distribution list to the City of Bridgeport Clerk’s Office.”
The official arrest warrant provides more details about the sordid case.“Castillo is accused of failing to maintain an absentee ballot distribution list, misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot, and failing to sign as an assister on an absentee ballot application in August 2019,” the document alleged.
Watch the clip here:
Building on this point, the same source revealed, “According to a deposition with the SEEC on October 21, 2021, Castillo denied helping the prospective voter fill out the application but later admitted he had filled out portions of the application.”
Featured image from embedded video