Mayor denies discussing absentee ballots with campaign volunteer at center of ballot stuffing claims

By SUSAN HAIGH
Associated Press

The mayor of Connecticut’s largest city has denied under oath ever discussing absentee ballots with the campaign volunteer resembling a woman on surveillance video stuffing papers into a drop box multiple times ahead of the mayoral primary. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim also testified Tuesday that he did not talk to Wanda Geter-Pataky about handling absentee ballots differently after state elections officials investigating allegations of absentee ballot fraud in Ganim’s 2019 primary referred her and two others with ties to his campaign to state prosecutors. Ganim said in court he was shocked by what appeared in the vides but doesn’t know if Geter-Patakay actually mishandled ballots.