LETTER: Senator Sampson Continues His Fight for Election Integrity
January 5, 2021
Recently, former Representative and perennial candidate John Mazurek decided to take a public swipe at me, claiming in a Facebook post that I was out of line to suggest that “elections across the country, including our own, were riddled with errors, disputed results, and shocking examples of fraud.”
The result was a deluge of comments – some attacking the very idea that election fraud is possible, and a comparable number documenting the growing evidence of corruption in the election process nationwide. Despite an effort by local Democrat operatives instigating through the comments to mischaracterize my statement, I was clearly not referring to our local elections but to the state as a whole, and for good reason.
I have had a front row seat as the Ranking Member of the state’s Government Administration & Elections Committee, and I could fill many pages with examples of election fraud and irregularities, particularly when it comes to Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. I will include an abridged list at the end of this article, but certainly enough to satisfy Mr. Mazurek’s infantile challenge.
What shocks me is that anyone would find fault with completely factual, even indisputable comments. The fact of election fraud is not in question. Even our own Democratic Secretary of the State has acknowledged that fraud happens in every statewide election and there have been countless cases widely circulated in the press. This is not an attack on our town clerks or the many capable and conscientious people who help at the polls in our communities. This is about the policies that have established an unreliable system.
Consider that every morning following election day for the last decade, the top of the news is some issue with bags of ballots found in Bridgeport, illegal mass swearing in ceremonies, polls not closing or opening on time, and so on.
I am writing today not just to prove my point and but more importantly to implore my neighbors to begin speaking to one another with respect and kindness once again. Apart from deceptions from political opponents bent on advancing their progressive agenda at all costs, my fellow citizens have also largely divided themselves into two groups; those who love Trump and will follow his position on every issue, large or small, right or wrong, and those that despise Trump and believe every word from his mouth is salacious and evil.
Sadly, these two groups have also chosen to ignore and dismiss every thought, idea, or word said by the other. They follow their respective news stations and consider any slight disagreement with their views as complete disloyalty.
This is a tragic development for our politics and for our country. America is more important than any one of us, and I believe that we should view all politicians through a lens of critical thinking. I am a Republican and have supported the President more often than not. However, I have also been critical of him on many occasions. The point is that I judge each of his actions individually, as I do the actions of Governor Lamont and each of my colleagues in the legislature.
I am pained to see my friends and neighbors in their determination to praise or blame an individual ignore what is objectively true.
That includes election fraud. I brought it up because it is a very real problem, and it must be addressed to preserve confidence in our government. Recognizing the problem is the first essential step to solving it.
Having confidence that eligible voters, and only eligible voters, have access and ability to cast a ballot is not a partisan issue. Having a valid election is not a partisan issue. Nor do these issues have anything to do with Donald Trump, other than being another example that we are living in a divided nation.
Do I think that President Trump’s election was stolen? I have no idea —but I know that I don’t want a system that leaves anyone in doubt about such matters.
My purpose is to fight for policies that guarantee honest elections going forward so that we can continue to enjoy our prosperous American way of life.
That is what I will continue to do, regardless of the consequences.
As promised, here are a series of documented examples of election fraud in Connecticut.
If you look at nothing else, please take the five minutes to watch the testimony of my colleague in the Connecticut State Senate – Dennis Bradley, a Democrat and likely not a Trump supporter.
I have been fighting against voter fraud long before I became a member of the State Senate. I have repeatedly pointed to a long line of documented voter fraud cases in the state of Connecticut – and so have many news outlets.
Was Mr. Mazurek “shocked” when the Waterbury Rep-Am newspaper ran a story listing numerous examples of voter fraud on October 4, 2020 (Photo, Photo and Photo)? Should they be required to apologize to every town clerk and their staff?
Who could forget former Democrat State Representative Christine Ayala and her conviction for 18 counts of election fraud? (not the only case where a sitting Democrat legislator in our state was caught either)
2019 Statewide Widely reported cases of AB voter fraud
2016 Middletown Elections officials altering voter forms
2016 Middletown State Reps children living out of state voted in CT for years while living in another state
2015 Stamford Party chairmen forges signatures to cast AB ballots
2014 Bridgeport Numerous reports of campaigns committing absentee ballot fraud, misrepresenting laws etc.
2013 New Haven Voters coached on selection while casting AB ballots
2013 New Haven Candidates, elected officials encouraging voters to subvert election laws
2013 Bridgeport Campaigns misrepresenting elections laws to manipulate AB ballots
2012 New Haven Campaign pressured voters into filling out AB ballots they were not supposed to use. AB ballots decided the outcome of the race.
2011 New Haven Campaign purposely misrepresented AB voting restrictions
2010 Bridgeport Bag of ballots left unattended, the polls were open 2 extra hours, photocopies were made of ballots in the mayor’s office, election numbers did not add up, sample ballots with democratic names checked off were brought into the polling places
2010 Bridgeport 250 AB ballot returns were listed to an address that was actually a vacant lot
2009 New Haven Campaigns tricking voters and casting their AB ballots
Here are some more –
https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud/search?combine=&state=CT&year=&case_type=All&fraud_type=All
Most importantly, this past year, the Connecticut Secretary of State exploited a public health crisis to dismantle our functioning absentee balloting system which needed only a slight clarification to be utilized by voters who were concerned about their potential exposure to coronavirus by voting in person.
Allowing COVID-19 as a reason for voting absentee is something I supported and gladly voted for. However, nothing could be more damaging to the integrity of our election process than the mass mailing of absentee ballot applications by our Secretary of State to every name on the voter registration rolls – with complete knowledge and utter disregard for how alarmingly inaccurate and unreliable they are.
I have called this action taken by our Secretary of State with the consent and authorization of our Governor by executive order – in direct contradiction to their constitutional and statutory limitations – a criminal act.
Watch – https://youtu.be/Eggz1IZhsZ4
This is just a sampling of what is out there. For more visit www.facebook.com/ctelectionsmatter
Tomorrow I will take my oath of office and continue my efforts to preserve Connecticut’s election system.
I will continue to fight for increased access to voting but also to maintain the integrity of our process. I will once again propose voter identification requirements and audits of our elections as a safeguard.
Watch – https://youtu.be/uCh3eFI6Hww
(Go to 12:05 to see how the vote for requiring voter identification turned out in 2019)
I will also continue to remain honest, fair minded, and respectful to all persons and ideas. However, I will be objective and vote my conscience for good public policy regardless of where it comes from, irrespective of party or personality.
Sincerely,
Senator Rob Sampson