Former Stamford Democratic City Committee Chairman John Mallozzi enters state Superior Court in Stamford on Feb. 11, 2019. Mallozzi is being charged with 14 counts each of filing false statements and second-degree forgery in an identity-theft scheme involving absentee ballots stemming from the 2015 municipal election.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut MediaSTAMFORD — With a trial underway, the lawyer for former city Democratic Party head John Mallozzi argued in court Tuesday that his client, who has been accused of absentee ballot forgery, is a “patsy” in the state’s case.
Attorney Stephan Seegar said that Mallozzi, during the investigation into what happened in 2015, exercised his right to remain silent while others cooperated with the investigators.
Mallozzi, who was the chairman of the Stamford Democratic City Committee from 2012 to 2016, has been charged with 14 counts of second-degree forgery and 14 counts of making false statements in absentee balloting. The felony charges are tied to the 2015 city elections.
After his arrest in early 2019, Mallozzi pleaded not guilty.
During opening arguments Tuesday in state Superior Court in Stamford, Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Bivona asserted that Mallozzi signed and submitted absentee ballot documents for people who were unaware that he was doing so.
One of those people tried to vote in person at his polling place on Election Day in 2015 and was initially turned away because he was marked as having voted by absentee ballot, according to an affidavit for Mallozzi’s arrest.
The State Elections Enforcement Commission launched an investigation that was eventually turned over to the state’s attorney’s office.
Investigators found that before the 2015 elections, Stamford’s then-town clerk, Donna Loglisci, agreed to an arrangement with Mallozzi: He or a “representative” would drop off completed absentee ballot applications at her office on behalf of voters and then pick up the ballots for them, according to the affidavit.
Loglisci told investigators that she gave Mallozzi unmarked absentee ballots and then received marked ballots from him.
Under state law, a town clerk is supposed to mail or hand an absentee ballot to the person who applied for it. Loglisci is not facing charges.
On Tuesday, Seeger contended that Loglisci — who served as town clerk for 16 years — was “no innocent pawn.”
Logisci was the only witness questioned during court Tuesday, spending about four hours on the witness stand.
During questioning by Seegar, she admitted that she gave out unmarked ballots and she knew what she had done was illegal.
The trial was continued until Wednesday.