Alfredo Castillo of Bridgeport mentioned more election-related crimes

Bridgeport City Councilman Alfredo Castillo was referred to the state attorney’s office on Tuesday for potential criminal charges related to allegedly registering a non-U.S. citizen to vote in the 2023 Democratic primary and completing an absentee ballot on that person’s behalf.

The state Board of Elections Enforcement spent about three months investigating the allegations before deciding Tuesday that there was enough evidence to criminally charge Castillo.

The investigation into Castillo’s actions during the 2023 primary election stems from a complaint filed late last year by Bridgeport resident Arianna Hernandez.

Hernandez, who is a permanent legal resident but not a U.S. citizen, submitted a written complaint to SEEC claiming that Castillo convinced her to sign the documents necessary to become a registered voter, even though green card holders are not eligible to vote in Connecticut.

She also alleged that Castillo helped her sign up for an absentee ballot, which he cast on her behalf ahead of the city’s 2023 Democratic primary contest between Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and his Democratic challenger John Gomes. Castillo was an outspoken supporter of Ganim’s re-election bid.

“I never filled out an absentee ballot, but I signed it because Alfredo told me he would fill it out,” Hernandez wrote in the Oct. 4, 2024, complaint, which was translated from Spanish to English by a Connecticut State Trooper.

In Connecticut, it is a crime to fraudulently register another person to vote, and it is also a crime to steal another person’s absentee ballot unless that person is a family member, guardian or legal appointee of that voter.

Castillo’s attorney, Frank Riccio, did not respond to an email seeking comment on whether the case would go to trial.

This isn’t the first time Castillo has been accused of committing voting crimes during city elections.

Castillo, who served several terms on the city council, has already faced criminal charges for the alleged accusations taking possession of another voter’s postal ballot during the 2019 Bridgeport Democratic Primary Election and completing this ballot on behalf of the voter.

He was too referred to separate criminal charges late last year for allegedly driving voters to the polls in November 2023 and sitting in a car with these people while they filled out ballots using the curbside voting option.

It’s unclear how quickly state prosecutors will decide whether to charge Castillo in the latest SEEC referral.

In recent months, the Office of the Chief State Attorney has been inundated with complaints related to the 2023 Democratic primary for Bridgeport mayor.

The primary election, which Ganim won by a majority of absentee votes, was overturned by a Connecticut judge due to widespread allegations of mail-in ballot fraud. Ganim finally regained his place after winning two court-ordered elections in early 2024