Bob Clegg is running in the Republican primary against Dave Wheeler for Executive Council District 5. In a report Clegg filed in January with the NH Secretary of State, it shows that in 2019, he and his partner earned $48,000 lobbying for the organization “Decriminalize Sex Work”.
Related: NH Democrats Shelve Stricter Child Sex-Trafficking Penalties
The Union Leader covered Clegg’s lobbying against a bill concerning underage prostitution:
Representatives of Decriminalize Sex Work appeared before the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee earlier this month to oppose a bill that would have toughened penalties against customers of underage prostitutes.
A lobbyist opposing the bill, former Republican Senate majority leader Bob Clegg, said he believes he has convinced the committee to hold the bill for further study, including review of New Hampshire laws addressing prostitution.
From coverage on the bill in the Telegraph:
The bill would have made it a Class A felony to pay, agree to pay or offer to pay for sex with someone younger than 18, bumping the potential penalty from 3½ to seven years in prison to up to 15 years.
The AP quoted Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director at the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, on the bill:
Plain and simple: the men making money off of legalized prostitution have tried to hijack a bill intended to keep child victims safe in an effort to allow pimps to set up shop in our state.
Bob Clegg lobbied against stiffer penalties for those who pay to rape children. That is a pretty nasty business to be in. We should be doing everything we can to protect these young victims. It is horrifying that Bob Clegg and his partner would interfere in such legislation in exchange for thousands of dollars in lobbying fees.
