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Guam - Bob Kelley issued the following statement late Saturday following the events involving Catherine Peredo and Bernadette Meno with a cooler in the area of a voting precinct:

On Wednesday, Nov 12, I was asked to go the Campaign Hqs of Gutierrez Gumataotaoto to hear an allegation of election misconduct being made by Cathy Peredo who served as an Election Percent Official of the Guam Election Commission in Precinct 18F Dededo.

I discussed the matter with her. She told me that she went to the back to get a drink and opened up a cooler and saw premarked ballots in the cooler.  She only glanced in the cooler because another precinct official approached her and asked if she needed help.  Cathy told me this scared her.

I asked if she reported the finding of the ballots to anyone.. at the precinct, calling the GEC or the Democratic legal team standing by to assist if there were reported irregularities,  She told me she was too scared, however she did call her husband John Peredo and told him what she saw.

I was asked on Friday, Nov 14 to contact Cathy and ask her to come in and prepare an affidavit.  I sent her a text asking her and she agreed to come to the Campaign Hqs on her lunch hour.  At that time, Cathy discussed the allegation with Bernadette  Meno and Vanesa Williams.  Both ladies asked Cathy questions and took notes.  I was present with them for part of the interview, however I also was dealing with my business functions needing attention at the time.

Based upon the notes of the interview, and Cathy's written statements, Bernadette  prepared a typed affidavit.   I was provided an unsigned copy.

I noted that the allegations being made were serious and needed to be properly investigated.  I contacted Cathy and told her that I wanted to forward her accusation to a contact I had in the FBI and asked her if she would agree to be interviewed.  She told me she was afraid, but I told her it would be very discreet and a private meeting.  She agreed and voluntarily appeared for a private interview with an FBI Special Agent conducted last weekend. I provided an unsigned copy of the affidavit to the FBI Special Agent.

Based upon my contact with Cathy I think she really thought that she saw a ballot or ballots in the cooler, but that she was scared and really was not sure of what she saw.  It was only a momentary glance.  I also think that Bernadette  Meno  tried to accurately prepare an affidavit based  on her notes and Cathy's statements.   I have been told many times by Cathy that she just wants to do the right thing, but that she is very afraid that her reporting this incident will cause repercussions as a Government of Guam Employee at the Retirement Fund.