By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
One day after Fall River’s embattled mayor took a leave of absence and suspended his re-election campaign, the woman who served as Jasiel Correia’s city administrator, Cathy Ann Viveiros Wednesday announced she will wage a write-in bid for mayor in the final three weeks of the campaign.
Viveiros, a former city councilor and five-time candidate for mayor announced her campaign with Government Center serving as a backdrop, and said she fears the progress made under Correia, who was indicted for personal and political corruption, would be reversed.
“I think that a lot of the accomplishments that we’ve made over the last six years, four of these years was under mayor Correia, and he clearly provided the direction that I think was very helpful to us in making the gains that we’ve accomplished,” Viveiros said.
Viveiros denied her candidacy constitutes a “stalking horse” for Correia, who’s name will still appear on the November 5 ballot along with Paul Coogan, the school committeeman who bested Correia in the September 17 preliminary election by a three-to-one margin.
Correia was charged in 2018 with using proceeds from investors in his business for personal use. He was additionally charged September 6 with extortion and bribery, for allegedly extorting money from marijuana vendors, and shaking down his former chief of staff for a portion of her salary. He has denied the charges.
Tuesday, Correia announced he would take a leave from his mayor’s post, while continuing to collect his salary, and would suspend his political campaign.