December 17, 2009
by Ed Naile
The Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers has waited a long time for this. Check out some recent Google headlines:
Local Government Center turns over documents to NH
WCAX – 16 hours ago
AP – December 16, 2009 5:05 PM ET CONCORD, NH (AP) – The Local Government Center has turned over documents that New Hampshire requested as part of an …
LGC fails to block subpoena
Concord Monitor – Shira Schoenberg – Dec 15, 2009
State securities regulators yesterday demanded that the Local Government Center open its books to them – a day after a judge ordered …
Judge: Insurer must open books to regulators
The Union Leader – Tom Fahey – Dec 14, 2009
CONCORD – A Superior Court judge has rejected a move by the Local Government Center to block state regulators from examining the books of its … Local Government Center Cracks its Books
NHPR – Dan Gorenstein – Dec 10, 2009
But now, for the first time, the local government center has made many documents available to New Hampshire Public Radio and the public. … NH
Ever since the 1996-2001 Town of Ashland financial meltdown CNHT was tracking we have had an issue with how the NH Municipal Association, aka, Local Government Center, operates.
Back then, one Ashland Selectman, who coincidentally, worked for NHMA, testified under oath to the NH AG that the Town Clerk who misappropriated $2.1 million was a great employee who had the approval of the Selectmen to give the then police chief a $20,000.00 cash advance on his salary. This affidavit was witnessed by another NHMA employee, which leads us to believe it was taken at NHMA HQ in Concord??
Since NHMA was the insurer of Ashland let’s look at some other interesting details of just that one case.
1. The Town Clerk, according to a forensic audit, misappropriated at least $2.1 million but plead guilty to stealing only $112,000.00.
2. NHMA paid the Town $660,000.00 in damages.
3. NHMA’s employee testified on the crook’s behalf.
4. The Town Clerk had to pay the town back $25.00 per week for $75,000.00 of the $112,000.00.
5. She agreed to pay $25 per week because she was underemployed.
6. Her attorney at the parole hearing I attended in 2002 was Paul Hodes. Sound familiar?
7. Paul Hodes worked for Governor Jeanne Shaheen’s husband’s firm.
8. Governor Shaheen appointed all three Parole Board members who let the clerk off after two years.
9. Shaheen’s appointed AG prosecuted the case.
I wonder how the clerk paid Paul Hodes, $12 per week? I thought indigent criminals had free lawyers? Why such a prominent and politically connected one?
Let’s at least pop open the Local Government Center’s books regarding how much of a take they skim off the insurance they sell NH municipalities.
After that, maybe I’ll ask for that big fat Ashland file.