The Patch has a useful story today with details from the NH Attorney General’s Office. Holiday Scams are a problem, and they felt they should warn Granite Staters to be wary. Someone is pretending to be from law enforcement, telling marks they missed a court date and there is a warrant out for their arrest. If they pay a “late fee” (my term not theirs) it will correct the problem. But?
[N]o one from a law enforcement agency would ask for immediate payment to avoid arrest; they will never communicate by unsolicited calls, text, or emails to demand money; and agencies never threaten in exchange for payment.
The other scams included a virus threat blackmail scheme and a reference for avoiding holiday shopping scams. Nowhere do I see the Attorney General warning Granite Staters about its tendency toward frivolous prosecution.
In recent years, the NH AG’s Office has repeatedly attempted to find a way to use civil rights law to suppress protected speech. The arrest and prosecution of the NH nine was another completely unjustified exercise in lawfare. It was so bad it got them sued. James O’Keefe can attest to several examples of the NH AGs office using its powers to intimidate citizen journalists to suppress evidence of actual wrongdoing. Then there’s the recent voter intimidation tag team with the SoS and AG.
This is the way.
As Laurie Ortolano reminded us, New Hampshire has its share of institutional elitism. From the courts to state and local government, our figurative five families run things a certain way. They are quick to swat any nuisance while dismissing claims that endanger the cabal.
Governor-Elect Ayotte is as much a part of this sinister union as anyone, with connections on both sides of the aisle, so it will be interesting to see if her administration can improve the deteriorated reputations of an Office she led under Benson and Lynch. It seems unlikely, given her pedigree, but everyone deserves an opportunity to prove me wrong.
I’m not holding my breath.
