Accusations begin against Michael LoPorto in Troy ballot fraud case | News

TROY - A Democratic worker who collected absentee ballots with Michael LoPorto, one of the two defendants, says they really did not care if voters had legitimate reasons for getting absentees, just so long as they voted the right way, meaning Democrat. 

Up till now, there has been testimony against the other defendant, Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward McDonough and there will probably be more about him, but now, the accusations are starting to fly against former Troy City Council Member Michael LoPorto.

Kevin McGrath a current member of the council, who has been granted immunity in return for his testimony against McDonough, a man he described as his friend, was just concluding his time on the stand. He claimed that he saw McDonough breaking the law

“That he witnessed Edward McDonough falsify two separate documents by placing false excuses in those applications without the consent of the voters,” said Trey smith, special prosecutor.

But testimony against LoPorto had been sparse so far.

A Democratic committeeman testified Wednesday afternoon that he and LoPorto collected applications for absentees in the Working Families Party primary in 2009.

Robert Martiano said, “I knew we were pushing up against the law. We did not even want to know if they had legitimate excuses for the absentees.”

The next witness in line, an official of the Working Families Party, expected to testify probably Thursday that LoPorto told her, when the scandal broke, "remember, I did not give you any ballots.”

“We’ll find out exactly what it is that may have been said under what circumstances,” said Michael Feit, LoPorto’s Attorney.