Letter: Keith Hanson's Vicious and False Allegations - Granite Grok

Letter: Keith Hanson’s Vicious and False Allegations

Keith Hanson

We hear things. They are not always nice things. Especially when it comes to elections.  This time it relates to the race for New Hampshire GOP Chair. Keith Hanson and Steve Stepanek are vying for that position. Pam Tucker and Kate Day are each running for NH GOP Vice-Chair.

Funny, that vice chair race?  I’ve heard nothing — not one thing, not an email, not a peep.  The race for Chair, however? I’m hearing a bunch. And it seems that one candidate in that race is trying to replicate the nastiness and ugliness of the CD-1 Primary slugfest between Edwards and Sanborn.  At least, that’s how it appears to me.

For full disclosure, I have no dog in this fight. I am not a registered Republican, although I have been in the past. I’ve also been an NHGOP Delegate and State Committee member. But no more. I left the Republican party. So it really doesn’t matter much to me.

I’m not supporting either candidate because I can’t vote for either one. But it may matter to others. So, let us begin – and first with the part that was made personal to me.

It appears that Keith Hanson is taking the tack of being “the outside guy” looking to upset any and all apple carts on his way to being the NH GOP Chair. Part of that process was going after his opponent in an email. Drudging up old DWI arrests. I’m sure they’ve been or will be a topic of discussion on his various media platforms.

He might as well add this to the list. A notarized letter from Republican Vermont Gubernatorial Candidate Keith Stern. Some accusations have been flying around about the embezzling of campaign funds. Accusations. Refutations. Things that, to be honest, were coming out one way or another.

This is a letter from Gubernatorial candidate Keith Stern to Rebecca Bailey. Stern ran in a Republican primary against current VT governor Phil Scott. Both Hanson and Bailey worked for Stern with Hanson first being his campaign manager and once let go, Bailey was promoted (I think I have that ordering correct).

The accusations against Rebecca are significant. As a newly elected GOP county chair in NH they became an issue. That’s how this letter came into our possession. It had to be read into the minutes of a meeting to address accusation against her which the letter is meant to dismiss.

Mr. Stern does not paint a pretty picture of Mr. Hanson. We can’t speak to the matter beyond what you see. But if this is true, Mr. Hanson should consider himself lucky if he is not sued.

We also have a copy of those county committee meeting minutes to share next time.  And to be fair, we do have some positive thoughts about Keith’s observations about the party and what it needs. We have a long and detailed history of taking the NHGOP to the woodshed.  Keith has some good ideas.

But what appears in that letter bothers us to the degree that we feel we’d be negligent in letting delegates vote for a candidate without knowing about it beforehand regardless of what party registration.

Mr. Hanson was ‘kind enough’ to share some concerning history about Mr. Stepanek this past weekend in an email attacking his opponent. Steve will likely have to address any concerns.

In all fairness, Keith needs to answer for this.

More on this later.

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