The State Elections Enforcement Commission ( SEEC ) deemed “necessary to investigate” allegations that occurred during Bridgeport’s court-ordered mayoral election last month this week.
” Necessary to investigate is just a boundary dedication that the claims are within our jurisdiction”, Joshua Foley, an attorney in the SEEC’s public funding unit, told The Epoch Times.
” It’s not an arbitration or view of the virtues. Simply put, it means we may look into their circumstances and that they fall under our control.
Now, the SEEC has received more than 30 recommendations regarding Bridgeport’s municipal vote.
Ms. Thomas’s appointment will be assigned a record number, an lawyer, and a legitimate investigator.
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They will then begin an investigation and when they have some data to return to the payment, they share that evidence with the commission, which decides what to do, according to Mr. Foley.
Following allegations of fraud in earlier elections, the former president Joe Ganim and opponent John Gomes faced off in a gubernatorial race on February 27.
Mr. Gomes had been challenging Mr. Ganim since Connecticut Superior Court Judge William Clark overturned next year’s Sept. 12 Democrat major based on those claims.
As you may be aware, this company only has the authority to examine the activity described in the attached and no authority to carry out an investigation, according to Ms. Thomas in the referral.
In the event that these issues fall under the purview of the State Elections Enforcement Commission,” I am thus bringing these issues to your interest.”
Ms. Thomas did not respond to requests for reply, but according to her referral to the SEEC, eight out of 63 citizens indicated they had received absentee ballots without asking for them, and three supposedly suspicious activity incidents have taken place at drop boxes that suggest absentee ballot abnormalities involving just one person.
Another voting claimed that someone came to his home to assist him, force him to mark some paperwork, and then take his ballot ahead during a spot check.
” If the investigation shows evidence of legal activity, then that is usually forwarded to the general state’s lawyer, which is the company for prosecuting legal things”, Mr. Foley added.
” If they’re not legal matters, but they are still election laws violations, finally the committee itself has the power to prosecute them”.
In a complaint made by Mr. Ganim’s fresh deputy chief of staff, Constance Vickers, who claimed money was exchanged for a completed absentee ballot from a vote, were names of individuals associated with the Gomes plan.
Poll monitors were given the opportunity to watch the democratic candidate’s gubernatorial election.
” They must have called the voter”, Ms. Vickers told The Epoch Times. ” I really reported what I was told,” the statement read.
Ms. Vickers is a i- owner of Park City Consulting, which Mr. Ganim’s plan contracted with for several vote services.
As of September 2023, Park City Consulting received$ 140, 000 from Ganim for Bridgeport ‘ 23, the campaign committee for Mr. Ganim, and in 2022 Gov. Ned Lamont paid Park City Consulting$ 16, 000 for its Get Out the Vote activity.
She co-owns a consulting firm that has gained money through numerous efforts, including this most recent one, and she is also Joe Ganim’s new deputy chief of staff, which is where Mr. Gomes filed a grievance, he claimed.
” How is that not a conflict of interest”?
Before being promoted, Ms. Vickers was a battle charity as well as Mr. Ganim’s parliamentary secretary.
Additionally, she presided over the Connecticut Young Democrats.
When asked about Park City Consulting, Ms. Vickers called it a part rush.
” I do n’t do this in City Hall”, she said” This is above and beyond. I’m never married. I do n’t have kids. We live and embrace elections because all of my companions are. I simply work all the time”.
Mr. Ganim and Mr. Gomes are both Liberals. But, Mr. Gomes campaigned as an Independent.
Bridgeport has 42, 000 Democrats, 22, 000 affiliated citizens, and 4, 700 Democrats.
Kim McLaughlin, a Gomes supporter, reported to The Epoch Times about four separate incidents in the 199 Yacht Street tower on February 22. One of them supposedly involved two Spanish-speaking women voting for a tenant on his absentee ballot before allegedly bringing the poll with them as they left.
The incidents were reported directly to the SEEC, not the Secretary of State’s office.
” We still have more complaints to write up and send”, Ms. McLaughlin told The Epoch Times.
A gentleman entered our office who was only speaking Spanish. He gave us an envelope with a ballot and said he could n’t vote because he was n’t a citizen, but he was still sent an absentee ballot.
Mr. Foley could not confirm or deny whether the SEEC had received Ms. McLaughlin’s referral.
35 people make up the SEEC’s full-time workforce, under the leadership of Executive Director Michael J. Brandi.
They meet every two weeks to review complaints and determine whether they are “necessary to investigate.”
” The complaints are very serious but, sadly, not shocking”, state Rep. Jason Perillo ( R- Shelton ) told The Epoch Times.
” Republicans have been saying this for years but we’ve been dismissed”.
