Aiello vs. Pekmez 2023: Full Court Transcript

On May 31, 2023 Hon. James McClusky ruled Mirela Pekmez, my former opponent and endorsed candidate, was removed from the ballot for the 1st Ward Utica Common Council seat.

The judge heard testimony and evidence from several people who did not sign Pekmez’s petition to get on the ballot for the June 27th primary — contradicting her testimony and others.

Fraudulent signatures were not only found on Pekmez’s petition, but were also found on petitions collected for other candidates running for local offices. This joint effort contributed to the ruling of her petition being “permeated with fraud”.

The following documents are the transcripts from our three day trial:

May 19, 2023

May 26, 2023

May 31, 2023