Bridgeport Councilman Arrested in 2023 Ballot Fraud Case Claims Innocence, Alleges He Was Following Democratic Party Directives
Councilman Alfredo Castillo is among the three council members who turned themselves in to state police last week.
One of the three council members who surrendered to state police last week regarding accusations of absentee ballot fraud in the 2023 Bridgeport, Connecticut, mayoral primary election asserted his innocence, claiming he was simply “following the directives of the Democratic Party.”
Councilman Alfredo Castillo, 53, representing the 136th District, was arrested on Friday and faces several charges, including misrepresenting absentee ballot eligibility criteria and the improper possession of ballots and envelopes.
“I’m innocent,” Castillo stated to The Epoch Times on February 23. “I’m following the directives of the Democratic Party. This is what they instruct us to do … to mobilize voters. Then we get criminalized.”
Democratic Party vice chair Wanda Geter-Pataky, 68, alongside councilwomen Maria Pereira, 57, and Jazmarie Melendez, both representing the 138th District, also turned themselves in on Friday and were subsequently arrested. They did not provide a comment by the publication deadline.
“Wanda’s role as vice-chair of the Democratic Party is to mobilize voters,” Castillo remarked in a phone interview. “That’s her responsibility. She deserves recognition for the small number of votes we are able to get out there to create a difference.”
Besides facing multiple counts of misrepresenting absentee ballot eligibility and improper ballot possession, Pereira has also been charged with second-degree forgery and disorderly conduct, while Melendez and campaign worker Margaret Joyce, 45, were additionally charged with various counts of misrepresenting absentee voting eligibility.
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Castillo noted that the party sought their assistance, and his fellow Democratic council members were simply responding to that call for help.
“The Democratic Party seeks our help with various initiatives,” he explained. “Jim Himes, Richard Blumenthal, and Chris Murphy… everyone benefits from Bridgeport. We are the largest city in the state, and they rely on us for victories, yet nobody provides assistance to the people.”
Himes serves as a Congressman for Connecticut’s 4th District, while Blumenthal and Murphy are U.S. Senators for Connecticut.
Requests for comment from Himes, Blumenthal, and Murphy went unanswered by publication time.
Castillo intends to remain in his elected position, stating, “I’m going to stay. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
The charges originate from the mayoral primary election that took place on September 12, 2023, where incumbent Mayor Joseph P. Ganim triumphed over challenger John Gomes.
Gomes subsequently filed a civil lawsuit in Bridgeport’s Superior Court, alleging absentee ballot fraud, resulting in a Superior Court overturning the September 2023 election results. This complaint was later forwarded to the State Elections Enforcement Commission, which directed the case to the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney for further inquiry by the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.
Joshua Foley, the senior attorney and information policy coordinator for the State Elections Enforcement Commission, declined to comment.
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin did not respond to requests for comment.
According to Linda Szynkowicz, founder and CEO of the Connecticut-based national nonprofit Fight Voter Fraud, the arrests are unlikely to change the results of the 2023 mayoral election.
“Once an election has been declared, it is virtually impossible to take any action,” Szynkowicz informed The Epoch Times.
All five defendants were released and are scheduled to appear in Superior Court on March 6, 2025, as stated in a press release from Griffin.
“While we regret that it took the state an excessive amount of time to take action against the outrages that occurred in Bridgeport, we are pleased that prosecutors have finally moved forward,” Attorney Cameron L. Atkinson commented in an email to The Epoch Times.
Democratic party officials did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
