Another video is raising questions about absentee ballot fraud in Bridgeport— but this time, it appears to show John Gomes supporters.
The videos were given to Hearst Connecticut Media. They show people in Gomes shirts making multiple trips to an absentee ballot box.
Gomes denies allegations of wrongdoing. He said the people in the videos were acting legally, and will provide affidavits as to whose ballots they were depositing.
“The handling of absentee ballots is permitted for close family members,” Gomes said in a statement. “These supporters affirm that their handling of the ballots in question was in compliance with the law. For years, there has been a culture of absentee ballot abuse in Bridgeport. Any intentional misuse of absentee ballots should be prosecuted.”
Ganim’s campaign said the video shows his opponent’s hypocrisy and undermines their legal claims in court.
"What’s important today is that there be no double standard for right and wrong,” Ganim said. “My opponent professes integrity in our elections; however, their actions and behavior continue to say something entirely different. You cannot have videos of your campaign workers stuffing ballot boxes and then complain about ballot irregularities when you lose."
It’s unclear where or when the videos were taken.
Court hearings in the case filed by Gomes are scheduled to begin next week. The Gomes campaign wants the judge to call for a new Democratic primary or overturn the original results, citing fraud from incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim’s campaign.
On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge William Clark refused a request from city officials to look at police reports related to the case before they are given to the Gomes campaign. All records subpoenaed by the Gomes campaign will be provided without a private judicial review.
“An approval of an in-camera investigation would have resulted in some of the materials not being turned over and made public,” Gomes said. “I support Judge Clark's decision to deny the city's request.”
Instead, both sides have agreed that the documents released by city police will be subject to a protective order. That means only attorneys will have access to the documents.
