Democratic operatives accused of ballot tampering told to take deal or face trial

An absentee ballot scandal in Bridgeport, Connecticut, already forced the state’s largest city to throw out a Democratic mayoral primary and hold it again.

Now, a local judge is forcing two Democratic operatives at the center of the case to plead guilty or risk facing a jury trial. Former local Democratic Party official Wanda Geter-Pataky and Democratic city Councilman Alfredo Castillo have until Aug. 25 to accept plea agreements, and they face more than 100 charges combined over Bridgeport’s 2019 and 2023 mayoral primaries.