SPRINGFIELD — Shocked and unnerved.
That’s how City Council Vice President Melvin A. Edwards feels about allegations of voter fraud that surfaced Wednesday suggesting that mayoral candidate and City Councilor Justin Hurst’s campaign paid voters $10 to cast ballots for him.
“It’s a bit uncomfortable to even comment on it,” Edwards said. “I’m shocked.”
Video footage shows a man associated with Hurst’s campaign giving out money outside City Hall during early voting and Hurst driving people who got cash. Signed affidavits from the city clerk, four city election workers and a police officer document what they saw, including multiple voters asking city staff about where to get their $10.
City Solicitor John Payne called for the Hampden District Attorney’s Office to open an investigation.
Hurst, who is running to unseat Mayor Domenic J. Sarno in the election Tuesday, denied that his campaign has paid for votes, saying at a press conference Thursday that actions by City Hall employees represented a “last-minute smear campaign” by Sarno. He claimed the mayor is using his employees to sway the election.
Sarno said Thursday morning that the voter fraud allegations were serious. “The integrity of our elections must be protected,” he said.
City councilors like Edwards reached Thursday by The Republican, in the wake of the fraud allegations, had mixed reactions, ranging from seriously doubting them to saying they were convinced crimes were committed.
“I would say let the election play out,” said At-Large Councilor Kateri Walsh, as she walked through City Hall Thursday. She declined to comment further. State Rep. Carlos González, D-Springfield, was walking with Walsh, and also declined to comment.
Ward 8 Councilor Zaida Govan is not convinced voter fraud took place.
“I don’t know that the allegations are warranted. I seriously doubt them,” she said. “If some sort of payment to voters was going to occur, I don’t think they would have done it in front of City Hall.”
Councilors know where the security cameras are, she added.
The surveillance cameras outside of Springfield City Hall. (Hoang ‘Leon’ Nguyen / The Republican)Leon Nguyen
Other councilors were convinced there was misconduct.
“I saw the video,” Ward 2 Councilor Michael Fenton said. “It speaks for itself and serious crimes took place.”
He added that he supported City Clerk Gladys Oyola-Lopez and her staff. “They are professional and honest people and I believe them and stand with them. They spoke up and did a difficult thing to defend the integrity of the election system. They do not deserve to be vilified for it.”
Edwards, a longtime councilor, said he has never before heard allegations related to paying money for votes. “I don’t understand what the circumstances of the accusations are,” he said. “How many votes can you actually get doing this? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
He hoped the public would get more information.
It’s not clear when an investigation might bring more information to light.
The Hampden District Attorney’s Office declined to comment Thursday.
Spokespeople at the Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts both said they can’t confirm or deny the existence of investigations.
