John Formella Archives - Granite Grok

MACDONALD: A Few Thoughts on the Concord PD (Pronoun Department) And the AG’s Civil Rights “Itch”

October 24, 2025October 24, 2025 Steve MacDonald

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has been desperately trying to scratch an itch it can’t quite seem to reach—a high-profile case it could use, at least in my estimation, to leverage civil rights law to suppress protected speech. Create a hate speech exception, tied to state civil rights law, and let the Orwellian pall … Read more

MURRAY: Gong Show 2 – “The Plea Deal Circus”

October 8, 2025October 8, 2025 Tom Murray

Step right up, folks, the Granite State’s justice system has outdone itself. Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, a sitting member of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, has officially pled nolo contendere, that’s Latin for “I did it, but let’s not make it awkward.” Her crime? Criminal Solicitation of Misuse of Position, using her office to … Read more

BEST: On NHs “Next” Attorney General

September 13, 2025 Claire Best

Dear Members of the Executive Council, As you get ready to consider the re-appointment of John Formella to the Attorney General’s position, I urge you to consider the following. (Please note that this is not personal against John Formella, but it is an indictment against the Attorney General’s office over the last several AGs in … Read more

SMITH: No Hearing or Public Comment on Formella

September 13, 2025September 12, 2025 Julie Smith

I’ve been checking the EC hearing calendar daily as the one for Gould’s judge appointment is tomorrow morning, erroneously assuming that Formella would get his sometime shortly after that. Then I stumbled upon a quiet little nugget while reading a NH Journal article on the embattled Karen Liot Hill (KLH) announcing that she’s recusing herself … Read more

Murray: Welcome to the Granite State Gong Show

August 6, 2025 Tom Murray

If you thought New Hampshire politics couldn’t get any messier, buckle up, because the Hantz Marconi case is proving that the state’s so-called “justice” system is less Lady Justice and more Jerry Springer. We’ve got a sitting Supreme Court justice on felony indictment, her husband in his own legal quagmire, the former Governor, the Chief … Read more

Richard: Update on Richard v. Sununu

July 22, 2025 Daniel Richard

SURREPLY TO DEFENDANTS’ OBJECTION TO MOTION TO DISQUALIFY ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN FORMELLA AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Editor: The NH DOJs’ Objection to Motion to Disqualify can be found here. The Appellant, Daniel Richard, submits this Surreply to address the Defendants’ objections to his Motion to Disqualify Attorney General John Formella and the … Read more

Richard: Motion to Disqualify AG John Formella

July 12, 2025 Daniel Richard

NEW HAMPSHIRE SUPREME COURT Case No. 2025-0297 2025 TERM DANIEL RICHARD V. CHRISTOPHER T. SUNUNU, et al. ________________________________________________________________________ MOTION TO DISQUALIFY ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN FORMELLA AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DUE TO CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ALLEGED CRIMINAL CONDUCT ________________________________________________________________________ The Appellant, Daniel Richard, moves to disqualify Attorney General John Formella and the … Read more

Murray: Is New Hampshire’s Judiciary Being Weaponized?

July 12, 2025 Tom Murray

The Curious Case of NH Supreme Court Justice Marconi. New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi stood at the center of a potentially explosive legal showdown. She was widely seen as the likely deciding voice in a constitutional case brought by citizen litigant Daniel Richard, a case that directly challenged the authority of … Read more

Kelly Ayotte Puts John Formella In Limbo

March 25, 2025 Steve MacDonald

Limbo, in the theological sense, is a place where souls not condemned to hell await judgment. New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte announced yesterday that she has put AG John Formella in limbo. She needs additional time to evaluate his office before deciding on whether to keep or discard him. CONCORD, NH – Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte’s … Read more

Is NH’s AG Chasing Another Bogus Civil Rights Case?

October 23, 2025January 18, 2025 Steve MacDonald

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella might be a great guy to watch the game with or drink a beer. Maybe he plays an instrument (wasn’t everyone in New England in a garage band at least once?). Decent singing voice? Donates to puppy rescue shelters? Hands out sandwiches at homeless camps. I have no clue, … Read more

AGs Bell Rung Hard By High Court In Civil Rights Case

January 11, 2025January 11, 2025 Steve MacDonald

A few years ago, I led with this headline: “If NH AG Pushes Civil Rights “Case” Against White Nationalists, He’s Going to Lose.” The case John Formella’s office brought, former governor Sununus’ AG, was a civil rights violation case against a White Supremacy Group. NSC 131 displayed a banner on a bridge over Route 95. … Read more

Formella’s Future; How Soon Will We Know?

December 30, 2024 Julie Smith

New Hampshire’s attorney general recently made the news by becoming the new National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) president. I’m going to rain on his parade for the moment and point out a few things, one of them being that his predecessor in that very position got elected in NY on a “get Trump” platform. … Read more

Attorney General Formella’s Words Ring Hollow

November 5, 2024 Laura Colquhoun

On October 16, 2024, a grand jury indicted Supreme Court Justice Hantz Marconi, charging her with two felonies and five misdemeanors for attempting to interfere with a criminal investigation. As the story unfolds, you must wonder what is happening here. Attorney Formella’s press release stated: “No person is above the law, and the evidence in … Read more

NH AG Ignores More Than 100 Election Law Violations

October 22, 2024 Lou Gargiulo

Ballot Law Commission Voted 4-1 to send Findings of District 24 State Senate Race to AG for investigation in 2023… No Action by AG Taken in Violation of State and Federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Concord NH— Oct 23, 2024 — Lou Gargiulo, former State Rep, State Senate Candidate, and Hampton Falls Selectman, announced … Read more

Breaking: NH Charges Justice Marconi With Two Felonies and Five Misdemeanors [Update]

October 16, 2024October 16, 2024 Steve MacDonald

If I hadn’t heard rumors about Geno Marconi’s concerns and, some would say, opposition to the Gulf of Maine Wind Boondoggle and Pease development plans for Rye Harbor, I’d think this was legitimate. I don’t. Concord, NH – New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announces that New Hampshire Supreme Court Associate Justice Anna Barbara … Read more

Fickle Formella, What Will Our Next Governor and Executive Council Do?

October 2, 2024 Julie Smith

Today is a good day to revisit my previous article about Formella because the dropping of charges against the Elbit vandals had to have been approved by him, either actively or passively. Either way, it’s happening on his watch as the ship’s captain. NH Journal posted, “Formella’s office did not respond to a request for … Read more

Update 1: A Writ of Mandamus to the State of NH: Do Your Job Concerning Voting

August 10, 2024August 9, 2024 Skip

Well, I was hoping to get a callback from the Secretary of State’s Elections section yesterday concerning Dan Richard’s Writ of Mandamus – that didn’t happen. Upon coming home from taking the Grandson to Clarke’s Bears, I quickly opened the laptop thinking that I might have received an email. Wishful thinking. However, Dan received a … Read more

Inspired by yesterday’s Facebook post by former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte regarding her affection for law enforcement and a recent piece on her primary opponent, Chuck Morse, I have an important question for BOTH of them. What do they plan to do with Formella?