BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Alfredo Castillo, Wanda Geter-Pataky, Josephine Edmonds and Nilsa Heredia appeared in Bridgeport Superior Court Wednesday.
The four are charged with multiple counts including unlawful possession of absentee ballots, witness tampering, misrepresenting absentee ballot edibility requirements and failure to maintain a ballot distribution list among others.
Each of the defendants had the same stance: a not guilty plea with a jury election. The judge assigned each defendant a no-contact order as well.
Callie Heilmann, co-director of Bridgeport Generation Now Votes, who helped voters sue Mayor Joe Ganim's campaign and city officials, said the arrests alone are a win.
Heilmann said, "The victory we have already received is that what Bridgeport voters have known has been going on for decades in the city in our local elections has finally come to light and been proven."
From this trial, though, she hopes others will be held accountable.
Heilmann said, "Everyone understand that the people who have been brought to trial are here because they were told to do this, and so the question that needs to be answered through this trial is who told them, who instructed them, and that is who must ultimately be held accountable."
Heredia's Attorney Ken Krayeske said outside of court that his client is not the one to blame.
He said, "It's clear from anyone that can read between the lines that my client is a mere pawn in a power game that is so larger than her and my client should not be standing here alone; Mayor Joe Ganim should be here".
When attempting to talk to Ganim, FOX61 was kicked out by security.
A guard said, "No one's going to open the door... Time to go."
The mayor still has not commented on this case. Each of the defendants will be back in court on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Alexa Farrell is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. She can be reached at AFarrell@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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