New Hampshire State Police announced on Tuesday, while voting was still underway, that one of the two candidates competing for town clerk in Northumberland, N.H., had been arrested four days earlier.
The announcement said Courtney McLain, the current deputy town clerk, was arrested Friday on 28 misdemeanor charges, each punishable by a $2,000 fine and up to a year in jail. She is accused of improperly accessing Division of Motor Vehicle records to process transactions without having the proper credentials to do so.
McLain appears to have lost Tuesdayâs election. She received 220 votes while her opponent, Kathy Wiles, received 283 votes, according to unofficial results. The incumbent, Melinda âMinâ Kennett, opted not to seek another term.
The announcement from police misspelled McLainâs name, misstated her age, and didnât explain why she lacked credentials to access the Division of Motor Vehicles records relevant to the business her office conducts. Nor did it specify when the alleged offenses had occurred.
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More detailed records filed with the Circuit Court in Lancaster show that all the charges are based on conduct alleged to have occurred 10 months ago.
McLainâs defense attorney, Leif A. Becker, said he has known about the investigation into this matter for at least seven months. He said the timing of this arrest doesnât seem to be coincidental. He accused police of outright election interference.
âThis amounts to nothing short of an (affront) to our democratic process,â Becker said.
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A spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Safety, which includes New Hampshire State Police, did not respond to questions about the timing of McLainâs arrest. The trooper who signed the complaints filed in this case, Brandon Girardi, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Caledonian Recordâs Paul Hayes first reported McLainâs arrest on Sunday, noting in a follow-up report that New Hampshire State Police didnât confirm the arrest until Tuesday.
Court records specify that McLain is accused of using the New Hampshire Municipal Agent Automation Project (MAAP) computer network on May 5, 2023, to process vehicle transactions for 14 different customers by posing as an authorized MAAP user.
Becker said McLain and Kennett had each been given a six-month suspension that barred them from accessing the vehicle registration system. Their punishments came after they were found guilty in March 2023 of disclosing DMV registration information without authorization, according to court records from prior cases.
Kennett was convicted of disclosing vehicle registration information to the general manager of a local grocery store who called to ask about a vehicle that was blocking a delivery, according to the Caledonian Record.
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McLain, meanwhile, was charged with disclosing vehicle registrant information in two other unauthorized ways, including during a public meeting of the Northumberland select board, according to court records. On one misdemeanor count in that case, she entered what is known as an Alford plea, Becker said. That is a type of guilty plea in which a defendant acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to convict them, without admitting their guilt.
Select board meeting minutes from July 18, 2022, indicate McLain had asked questions about why a police officer was driving a vehicle with an expired motor vehicle registration. Her comment led not only to the criminal charge but also to civil litigation as well.
William Daisey, who was then employed as a Northumberland police lieutenant, sued McLain, Kennett, and the town. He accused McLain of unlawfully divulging confidential information about his motor vehicle records during a select board meeting.
Becker, who represents both McLain and Kennett in the civil and criminal cases, told the Globe that police carried out a âmaliciousâ investigation and moved forward with McLainâs arrest on Friday despite evidence that contradicts their case. He said the state already has witness statements and photographic evidence to support McLainâs innocence.
In a statement, Becker had called on Northumberland voters to select McLain so she can help clean up âthe âsmall town politicsâ cultureâ that has been causing problems in local government.
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âI know that Courtney cares about the Northumberland community and its residents,â Becker said, âand I look forward to addressing these charges along with the manner in which they have been investigated and brought forward.â
McLain is slated for an arraignment on June 3, police said.
This story was updated to clarify Courtney McLainâs plea in a prior case.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
CONCORD – While Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has said she opposes increasing highway toll rates across the state, the Senate voted Thursday to increase rates for out-of-state license plate holders.
It now goes to the House for consideration.
This would be a $1 increase for those who have out of state plates going through the tolls at Hooksett, Hampton and Bedford for out-of-state plates, a 75 cent hike for those taking Hampton’s Exit 2 and on the Spaulding turnpike at Rochester, and a 50 cent hike for those taking the exit off I-93 to Hooksett.
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An analysis in the bill shows that this would increase toll revenue by $53.3 million in fiscal year 2027 and go up each year to generate $81.4 million a year in 2036.
Senate Bill 627 passed on a voice vote with two Republicans, Senators Regina Birdsell of Hampstead and William Gannon of Sandown opposing.
Senator Mark E. McConkey, R-Freedom, moved to take the bill off the table and offered an amendment. He said the last time there was a systemwide increase to the turnpike toll was 19 years ago.
“I am sure we could all agree the cost of operations…has continued to escalate when revenue is not rising with it,” and he noted that with an enterprise fund, the state can only spend what it takes in.
The state has just completed a 10-year highway plan and there was a $400 million shortfall in projects that could not be paid for under the current income.
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McConkey said the measure would not increase tolls for New Hampshire drivers with a state license plate.
“Why don’t we ask our neighbors,” to pay a toll increase. “We are getting the best of all worlds,” by passing the bill, he said, including “protecting our residents” and having resources for improvements to the turnpike system.
Sen. Gannon, R-Sandown, asked McConkey if there are any studies on impacts near the border on businesses.
If implemented, McConkey said the state will be the 27th lowest in per mile cost still. McConkey said the bill would also increase from seven to 14 days the amount of time for those with NH license plates to pay for a toll adding there are other states that also have different rates for out-of-state users.
The Hampton toll cost would go from $2 to $3, while Hooksett and Bedford would rise from $1 to $2 for out-of-state plates.
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New Hampshire currently has the lowest rate per mile among states with tolls roads. The governor said she does not support a toll increase.
“We are not going to put a burden on drivers for a toll increase,” Ayotte said. “Families are struggling.”
WILTON, N.H. (WHDH) – A woman died in a Wilton, New Hampshire, house fire Wednesday morning, according to the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.
At 9:08 a.m., Wilton firefighters responded to Burns Hill Road after a caller said their home was filling up with smoke. When they arrived, a single-family home was on fire and they found out two people were still inside on the second floor.
A man and a woman were both taken out of the house by firefighters and taken to Elliott Hospital. The woman was pronounced dead and the man is in serious condition.
Officials have not released the name of the victim at this time.
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At this time, investigators are looking into the cause of the fire and are trying to determine if a power outage in the area played a factor. The fire is not currently considered suspicious.
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