Sen. Blumenthal calls for more gun control measures in the wake of the Georgia school shooting

Latest school shooting highlights Connecticut’s gun storage law

Heated debate over proposed changes to Connecticut’s abortion regulations

Sen. Blumenthal urging lawmakers to investigate USDA following Boar’s Head listeria outbreak

Newtown hosts annual Labor Day Parade

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RTCTPowerPolitics07202024BBlock430pm_2024-07-21-01-32-25

I'm John Craven. Welcome back to Connecticut Power and Politics. More fallout from the Bridgeport ballot scandal. Now a second city council member could face criminal charges, footage showing Martinez and others stuffing ballot boxes led a judge to toss out last year's democratic primary for mayor. We're looking for transparency. We've been looking for accountability. John Gomes filed that lawsuit on the witness stand. Martinez pleaded the fifth but soon she may face criminal charges, the motion to raise their hands and say Wednesday, the state elections Enforcement Commission referred Martinez to the chief state's attorney based on what I saw and based on what the evidence shows she was a culprit. Martinez declined to comment. She already faces charges related to a social club where a shooting took place. But despite all her legal troubles, Bridgeport Democrats just endorsed Martinez for a general assembly seat. Very emotional for me. Martinez is the second Bridgeport politician referred to prosecutors. Another complaint claims Councilwoman Maria Pereira bribed and even threatened voters and four other campaign workers face fraud charges for the 2019 election for Bridgeport voters. It's just more discouraging news. It is a little surprising but it's it's not necessarily something that would, wouldn't happen. Also, state regulators dismissed a complaint against Mayor Joe Ganim claiming that he actually lives in Easton Ganem thanked them for dismissing quote this frivolous complaint. Well, Jim Davis is here with us. She is with the election reform group, Bridgeport generation now. Ok, Jamine, we have now two city council members, Anita Martinez and Maria Pereira, both referred for criminal prosecution, possible criminal prosecution. How significant is that? I think it's very significant and I think that um it is a good day for Bridgeport when the state is taking seriously the complaints uh against city council members and anyone who um is mishandling uh elections state regulators seem to be moving faster than they have in the past. Yes, they're certainly moving faster and we're uh grateful for that. Now, in that piece, John Gomes who ran against mayor Canam uh said this news is vindication for him. Uh but we should point out Maria Pereira was campaigning for Gomes uh and one of the 2019 defendants uh was working for Ganim's uh then opponent Marilyn Moore. So this doesn't just involve Joe Ganim's people. It doesn't involve just uh just Joe Ganim's people. What is going on in Bridgeport is an expose or an exposing of a system of election interference that uh Bridgeport has been suffering under for the last 3040 years. So let's be very clear that there is a systems problem. Our democracy has been suffering under it for many years. Joe Ganim's campaign just happens to be the worst uh at doing it and the most egregious uh in their behavior. But certainly, uh Maria Pereira's name has been floating around on the streets for a very long time about the tactics, the tactics that she uses uh during election season. Um Should Joe Ganim be criminally charged? I don't know if Joe Ganim should be criminally charged. I know he should be held responsible in some way, shape or form. Um There is a reason why these people are doing what they're doing and they have been told to do what they do. So whoever is benefiting from those from that behavior needs to be held accountable. So before we go, I also want to ask you about the presidential race because you are one of the Connecticut delegates to the Democratic National Convention. So we're taping this on Friday. We don't know what Joe Biden is going to decide yet. But as a de do you want him to stay in the race? And do you think the other delegates want him to stay in the race? I most certainly want Joe Biden to stay in the race. I think the constituents in Bridgeport want Joe Biden to stay in the race. And in fact, 55,500 some odd people came out during the primary and voted for Joe Biden to be our nominee. You know, some of his strongest reporter, uh supporters have been the congressional black caucus. Um Why do you think it is that black voters in particular have really been? I, I think the most supportive of him. Well, we know how to fight and we also know what's at stake. I think what has happened on the national level is that we have some congressional uh leaders um who have been pressured, uh I believe by, by big donors uh to do something about the race. So there's a lot of uh fear out there and, and certainly everybody uh knows what is at stake and knows that we have to win. So, um I just think that we all need to stiffen up our backs and get to work and do what we need to do. All right, if Joe Biden steps aside though, would you support Kamala Harris on the floor or would you like to also hear from other candidates? The only other candidate that has a viable shot would be Kamala Kamala Harris. Um I think it would be egregious for the party to try and put someone else up. Kamala Harris is on the ticket now. She is our vice president. She has spent the last four years uh working on behalf of the American people as our vice president. And so she must certainly must be the, the candidate that's put up. Ok, we'll leave it there. Jem Davis from Bridgeport generation now. Thanks as always for Coming on today. Thank you so much. All right, thanks Jim. All right. Coming up next, Sprechen Z Deutsch Governor LaMotte is brushing up on his German after the break. Why the governor spent this week in Germany?

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RTCTPowerPolitics07202024CBlock430pm

Welcome back to power and politics. Governor Lamont spent this week in Germany on a trade mission. He's hoping to attract more companies and jobs. Sikorski in Stratford, thousands of workers are building the massive king stallion chopper. The company hopes to sell them to Germany. They could get a boost from Governor LaMotte who's in Germany this week on a trade mission, Germany like Connecticut has a major aerospace industry and we do a lot together right now. Germany is actually Connecticut's biggest trading partner buying $2 billion in exports last year, 21 ST century technology and processes. Pratt and Whitney sells them airplane parts and in Wilton semiconductor manufacturer, a SML sources many of its materials from Germany. The visit to Germany is a real opportunity to not only continue to increase the of business going to Germany from our companies here in Connecticut, but also see if any of those German companies are interested in expanding to Connecticut. Connecticut is already home to more than 100 German companies including pharmaceutical giant Behringer Ingelheim and Ridgefield Welding Company, Trump and Farmington and Roto Frank and Chester, a major window and door manufacturer, the Connecticut business and Industry Association says Lamotte's trip could mean new high paying jobs in the manufacturing sector. You're talking about highly engineered jobs. So a lot of advanced technologies, folks who are working with automation, Connecticut has a highly skilled engineering workforce, but it's also more expensive than southern states. Lamont has one week to make the case in person. Well, this isn't Lamont's first international trade mission two years ago. He led a trip to Israel where he met with 20 tech start ups. That's all of our time for this week. I'm John Craven. Thank you for watching Power and Politics. We'll see you next week.

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A second Bridgeport City Council member could face criminal charges in the ballot stuffing scandal.

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