From the largest of NH Cities to the smallest of hamlets, corruption happens. Bad things happen – sometimes by accident but more often, on purpose. When Doug and I started GraniteGrok, we often said that “what is happening here is happening in your town (even if a bit different)”. Sure, you may have known your friends and neighborhoods, but sometimes familiarity breeds disaster because our vigilance, our “spidey senses” take a nap.
Matthew Bjelobrk sent this in (emphasis mine, redactions mine) as it became clear that during the March 2021 Town Meeting voting, Supervisor of the Checklist Regis Roy broke the law in trying to influence voters WHILE VOTING as she was serving in her elected office’s duties. He didn’t just pass it off, didn’t think “well, someone else will probably do something about it”, free speech, or “what difference will it make”? But he didn’t.
When you are part of Government, you shouldn’t be using your office for doing this. And he did the proper thing:
From: Matthew Bjelobrk
Date: Tue, Jul 5, 2022 at 12:09 PM
Subject: Misconduct of Supervisor of the Checklist Regis Roy
To: <redacted>, <redacted>, <townmanager@haverhill-nh.com>Mr. Chair,
I am making you aware of the results of the investigation into my complaint regarding Supervisor of the Checklist Regis Roy’s conduct during the March 2021 election. The NH DOJ, after a 16-month investigation, determined that Ms. Roy was found to have committed electioneering, in violation of RSA 652:44, while working as a Supervisor of the Checklist. I have attached the investigation results and the Cease and Desist Order which she was provided from the NH DOJ.
This is a violation of her oath of office and is a direct affront to each and every voter in Haverhill.
I am asking you as a board to demand her immediate resignation, she can no longer serve in this position, as she has violated the public trust. This conduct cannot be tolerated.
Voters need to have confidence in the fidelity of their elected officials and to know that their elections are conducted fairly and lawfully.
Respectfully,
Matthew D. Bjelobrk
North Haverhill
Here is the result of the NH DOJ investigation:
Regis Roy Haverhill Electioneering NH DOJ Investigation Results
What should have happened is that Regis Roy should have resigned IMMEDIATELY; she didn’t. Again, ignorance of the law (if this is the case) is no excuse for not enforcing the law. And having involved the NH Department of Justice (even if it took longer than a year – like watching paint dry), there was enough there to do what *I* consider to be a “slap on the wrist” result.
It will be “interesting” to see what the Selectmen do. Would it have been just to “round file” it? Do the right thing on their own (which I hope happens)? Or with a bit of Big GraniteGrok Flashlight, a bit of a nudge to get this out into the public square with a wider audience.
So, is your town squeeky clean or is something brewing. If your town, your school board, your water district (et al) staying strictly to the RSA that outline their actual duties and Powers, or has someone, like Regis Roy, decide that they can do things not explicitly authorized by the State Legislation. Again, we are known as being a Dillon’s Rule State – subdivisions of the State, like those that I just enumerated, can do only those things that the State Legislature has passed into Law. And are they doing all the things that those Laws DEMAND that they do?
Reminder: for all of the talk that politicians and pundits proclaim, “local control” is fairly limited at the local level – the State controls all.
Including what a Supervisor of the Checklist CAN do, what that position MUST do, and what that person is NOT allowed to do.
Regis Roy seemingly didn’t care about that last bit.
