A hearing over the disputed results of the Bridgeport mayoral primary plowed ahead Friday with two witnesses repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment from involvement in a now highly-publicized video at the heart of the lawsuit, and if she was paid by current mayor Joe Ganim’s re-election campaign.
Wanda Geter-Pataky mostly stayed silent.
“On her behalf, I would assert her privilege, your honor,” said John Gulash, her attorney.
Geter-Pataky, a greeter at the city’s government center in downtown Bridgeport, stared at a video recording purportedly showing her and city council candidate Eneida Martinez dropping off what appeared to be absentee ballots.
Attorneys for John Gomes’ mayoral campaign focused the two witnesses at the center of a lawsuit over potential electoral misconduct during the city’s mayoral primary last month.
But Ganim did not appear in court Friday. Gomes’ campaign attorney Bill Bloss said Ganim might testify next week.
Geter-Pataky watched on as video was played from a security camera overlooking a drop box. Yet according to John Kannelly, attorney for the city’s registrar of voters Patricia Howard, the video isn’t compelling enough.
“So this great conspiracy that we've all been hearing about isn't there,” Kannelly said.
“And so that exhibit in and of itself is no reason to strip the voters of Bridgeport of their rights and to disenfranchise them.”
Bloss also focused on the two witnesses. Geter-Pataky did answer when asked about her title and her association with the city Democratic Party. But she, along with Martinez, repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment, even after video was played showing Geter-Pataky and Martinez allegedly putting ballots inside a drop box.
The video and other evidence, Bloss said, shows the primary results can’t be trusted.
“This is quite clear evidence that absentee ballots were mishandled.” Bloss said.
Ganim, who previously served time in federal prison over corruption charges, has denied any wrongdoing.
