Republican PAC That Backs Sununu Targets New Hampshire Republicans

A mass marketing campaign mailer attacking anti-establishment Republican candidates working in New Hampshire’s upcoming primaries was despatched out by a political motion committee fashioned to assist social gathering Gov. Chris Sununu as its goal.

“That is an outrageous and unprecedented try and purge as many constitutional conservative Republicans from the state home delegation as doable,” State Rep. Paul Terry, one of many Republican candidates focused by the mailers, instructed The Epoch Instances, “He desires us changed with Rhinos or Democrats.”

Terry is working for re-election to the New Hampshire Home of Representatives.

At the least six Republicans are recognized to have been focused by the mailers. All of them are working in contested Republican primaries and are known as out within the mailers for supporting such Republican initiatives as impeaching Sununu and seceding from the U.S.

Alex Stanford, chairman and treasurer of Granite PAC, which despatched out the mailers, instructed The Epoch Instances that Sununu had nothing to do with the mailers, that neither the governor nor his marketing campaign knew about them, and that his committee selected the focused candidates on their very own.

Whereas Stanford wouldn’t disclose his ties to Sununu, The Epoch Instances discovered he was a former intern for Sununu’s father, John Sununu, a former NH governor who went on to function chief of employees for George Bush Sr.

Stanford additionally counts Paul Collins, Sununu’s marketing campaign advisor, amongst his followers and his social media pages, that are riddled with private posts selling Sununu.

“We selected these candidates as a result of they don’t symbolize Republican values and have taken actions that aren’t in the perfect curiosity of New Hampshire,” stated Stanford, who refused to elaborate on his political credentials, “this has nothing to do with the governor’s elections.”

Sununu’s marketing campaign didn’t reply to inquiries in regards to the mailers.

On Stanford’s political committee registration filed with the workplace of New Hampshire Secretary of State on Could 12, 2021, the acknowledged goal of the PAC is “To Assist Governor Chris Sununu.”

The doc additionally lists Sununu on its assertion of impartial expenditures because the candidate it could be spending its cash on. In accordance with its most up-to-date monetary filings with the SOS, the PAC spent $27,000 on the mailings.

Whereas denying that Sununu’s marketing campaign has something to do with the mailers, Stanford stated that his PAC didn’t ship out mailers on some other race, native or federal.

“It’s so apparent that that is Sununu that it’s insulting to say in any other case,” State Rep. Norman Silber, one other Republican state Home consultant focused by Stanford’s mailers instructed The Epoch Instances.

The mailer concentrating on Silber depicts the New Hampshire state flag being shredded with the warning to voters: “Don’t Let New Hampshire Grow to be Undone by Norm Silber’s Divisive Management.”

Silber, who led social gathering challenges in opposition to Sununu for varied actions, together with his extreme use of his govt powers throughout COVID, filed a grievance with the NH Lawyer Normal’s workplace in regards to the mailers. Silber’s particular grievance was in regards to the quantities of contributions made to Granite PAC.

In accordance with the PAC’S monetary statements filed with the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s workplace, three of its donors made contributions in extra of $50,000. Silver says the donations violate a state regulation that limits donations to political motion committees at $10,000.

The donors embrace {an electrical} contractor whose house owners seem in photos posted on social media presenting Sununu with a $25,000 examine for a meals financial institution in 2020.

One other $50,000 contribution got here from the proprietor of dozens of McDonald’s eating places within the state. The proprietor seems in photos on social media presenting Sununu with a $50,000 examine for the New Hampshire Affiliation of Chiefs of Police.

State Rep. Josh Yokela, one other Republican focused by the mailers, instructed The Epoch Instances that he feels Sununu must be investigated for violating the moral guidelines of the social gathering.

“What Sununu is doing is hurting his personal social gathering with the potential of placing Democrats in workplace over Republicans,” stated Yokela, “this entire mailer factor he has performed is so short-sighted and is simply clearly private.”

Mike Sylvia, one other Republican Home member focused by the mailers, was concerned in a current controversy that Sununu inserted himself into although it had nothing to do with state affairs.

Sylvia and Silber are members of an all-Republican delegation that oversees the Gunstock Mountain Resort, owned by Belknap County, which Sylvia and Silber symbolize.

The delegation, which Sylvia chairs, makes appointments to the Gunstock Space Fee, which oversees the resort’s funds.

The fee on the time was led by Tom Day, a former normal supervisor of the Waterville Valley Resort, which Sununus personal.

When the delegation and Day bought into a really public tangle over allegations by the delegation in opposition to the fee, Sununu, who, once more, has nothing to do with the Gunstock ski resort, launched a letter, siding with Day and calling for Silber and Sylvia to be “faraway from their positions” for what he known as making “dangerous selections.” Sununu additionally supplied Day, who resigned over the dispute, a job with the state Parks division.

Shortly later, a $500 examine written out to Sununu’s marketing campaign by the fee surfaced. It was signed by Day. Sylvia launched the examine to the general public with an announcement that it was found in an audit.

One of many Republican candidates working in opposition to Silber was a member of the Gunstock fee that signed off on the donation to Sununu’s marketing campaign in 2020.