Voting Probe Moves Forward

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by Melissa Bailey | Sep 18, 2008 6:44 am

(2) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Politics

Hartford — State elections officials received a final report on whether a New Haven Democratic machine vote-puller broke the law in aggressively ordering an intellectually disabled man to the polls.

The matter was discussed by the State Election Enforcement Commission in its meeting at 20 Trinity St. Wednesday morning.

Commissioners heard for the first time the results of an investigation conducted by SEEC staff attorneys into behavior by New Haven Democrats in Westville’s Ward 25 on Nov. 6, during a mayoral and aldermanic election.

The investigation followed a complaint lodged by citizen activist Jeffrey Kerekes, who was alerted to the incident by this Independent article.

On Nov. 6, veteran machine vote-puller Brian McGrath was helping Mayor John DeStefano and Alderwoman Ina Silverman bring voters to a polling place at the Edgewood School. McGrath obtained access to a Fountain Street building that is home to the elderly and adults with intellectual disabilities.

One man named Vito, apparently suffering from an intellectual disability, went into hysterics, crying “I don’t want to vote!” but went along after McGrath commanded him to. At the polling place, another Democratic vote-puller working with McGrath hid his campaign sticker and walked into the voting booth with Vito. The worker, Stan Saxe, was caught and booted out before Vito voted.

McGrath has defended his actions, in the article and in the comments section of the Independent. He said Vito wanted to vote — and thanked him for helping him.

Staff attorneys in the legal enforcement unit of the SEEC investigated the case over the past 10 months, interviewing the subjects involved. They completed a fact-finding process and submitted a final report to the commission.

Commissioners discussed the case during a 22-minute, closed-door segment of their meeting Wednesday. When they emerged from executive session, they agreed to continue the case.

At this stage in the process, the commissioners typically speak to the defendants in the case to discuss any suitable remedies, according to SEEC Director of Legal Affairs and Law Enforcement Joan Andrews. The commission is expected to take up the matter again, in a public forum, in about a month.

Comments

posted by: cedarhillresident on September 18, 2008 10:28am

hmmmm??? Question to Yale sophomores…who was at the talk last month where McGrath was on the panel? Let the public know some of the tactics he talked about doing.

posted by: emily on September 20, 2008 7:47am

Everyone knows Brian is a fixture in city hall…al these years he been working for who ever the democratic chair and the mayor wants…nothing new here….

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