Laurie Ortolano Archives

The Independents: Do NH Right-to-Know Laws Need a Major Overhaul?

November 28, 2025 The Independents with Carla Gericke

This week, on the Independents with Carla Gericke, I sit down with First Amendment firebrand [And longtime GraniteGrok.com contributor] Laurie Ortolano—winner of the 2023 Nackey Loeb Award and the 2025 NEFAC Award—to talk about why New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know system is… let’s call it “quaint.” . Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those … Read more

SMITH: An Open Letter to Daryl Abbas

November 19, 2025November 12, 2025 Julie Smith

If you’re one to not believe in coincidences and want corruption removed from that 3rd branch of government, this article is for you. The coincidence, as an uninterested person would see it, is that Laurie Ortolano has court tomorrow and tomorrow happens to be Daryl Abbas’s birthday. I will get to the corruption removal part … Read more

Who Is Hiding What in Nashua?

April 4, 2025 Manch Talk

(Manch Talk 04/02/25) Right-to-Know advocate and super-activist Laurie Ortolano joins me on this week’s episode of Manch Talk. We catch up on her open government cases, delve into some challenges with RTK, and more. As a reminder, authors’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, … Read more

Re: Nov 5th Vote No …

October 27, 2024October 27, 2024 Spike

Laurie Ortolano writes a piece that purports to give readers guidance on the ballot question raising the age limit for judges from 70 to 75. But the text quickly turns to recap Laurie’s mistreatment by the New Hampshire judiciary and by specific persons. Thanks to Spike for the Op-Ed. Send yours to steve@granitegrok.com Let’s stipulate … Read more

“I Don’t Want to be Shannon Faulkner” is the Answer, But What is the Question?

April 20, 2024 Julie Smith

I’ll start with a quick review of 30 years ago when Ms. Faulkner disgraced ALL women (real adult females), veterans, and civilians alike by litigating her way into the Citadel and then dropping out. Look it up if you want to learn more, but I’ll get back to her later.

Neil Johnson (Lumberjack Logic Show) Exposing Corruption in New Hampshire

April 17, 2024April 17, 2024 Steve MacDonald

I was planning to wait for the site refresh to be completed to reboot the podcast page (GrokTV) with just podcasts, but Ken Eyring and Tom Murray just sent me an interview with our own Laurie Ortolano on government corruption (guess where!).

Celia Isn’t the Only One Breaking My Heart

April 17, 2024 Julie Smith

In a previous article, I noted that I thought Attorney Celia Leonard was being coached by Attorney Bolton and his hired legal Dream Team on Wednesday, 4/10. The next day, I looked for a camera in Courtroom 3, as Mr Buckmire, the head of security advised me to mention in my request for footage.

Miscellaneous Thoughts from Day 5 of Ortolano vs. City of Nashua

April 12, 2024 Julie Smith

Before leaving for court Thursday morning, I submitted a mockery of Attorney Celia Leonard and provided a link to a Simon and Garfunkel song that mentions her name. This time, the song I will share is a few years older. In fact, it’s older than me, and it’s called The Cheater.

“Celia” is Breaking My Heart, and that of Lady Justice.

April 12, 2024 Julie Smith

I never thought I would have an opportunity to name an article after my favorite Simon and Garfunkel song, but here we are. I am talking about Attorney Celia Leonard, locally known as Deputy Corporation Counsel, and a direct report to Attorney Bolton.

GraniteGrok Author To Be Honored With Loeb School First Amendment Award

October 18, 2023 Steve MacDonald

We want to congratulate ‘Grok author Laurie Ortolano. The Nackey Loeb School has chosen to honor her with its First Amendment Award on October 26th at the NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

The City of Nashua Gives Us Cause to Distrust Government

August 23, 2023August 22, 2023 Skip

Finally, the Union Leader appears to have returned to what it used to do: champion the Individual over the Government (with its Leftward bent lately, it has been taking the side of the Government).

Laurie Ortolano Wins in State Supreme Court 5-0 vs City of Nashua

August 21, 2023 Laura Colquhoun

Today was a big win for every Nashua resident, and it also vindicated Laurie Ortolano as the Supreme Court ruled in the Ortolano case against the City of Nashua with a 5-0 win.

RALLY – NH Voter Integrity Group Calls for Statewide Forensic Audit

June 10, 2021 Ken Eyring

The NH Voter Integrity Group will hold a rally on Friday, June 11th at the capitol building to call for a statewide forensic audit of the ballots from the November 3, 2020 general election. The rally will be held from noon – 5pm. The details are below…

Does Nashua Need Another Lawyer to Handle Public Document Requests?

October 1, 2020 Op-Ed

Mayor Jim Donchess vented at a recent Nashua Board of Aldermen meeting to justify the new legal manager positions to process Right-to-Know requests. He came down hard on myself and another citizen who are simply requesting public documents to understand what is happening in our city government.

Jan Schmidt, Benevolent Dictator

May 28, 2020May 28, 2020 Beth Scaer

I have been following Nashua Alderman, and NH State Rep, Jan Schmidt on social media and I’ve observed that she likes to portray herself as a benevolent dictator showing her love and concern for her subjects.

Democrat Rep. Jan Schmidt’s Effort to Restrict Access to Public Records Gets Crushed

March 22, 2020March 22, 2020 Beth Scaer

NH State Rep Jan Schmidt was the sole sponsor for two House bills to restrict access to public records, HB 1170, ‘Adding a definition of “reasonably described” to the right-to-know law’, and HB 1307, ‘Relative to the cost of production of records under the right-to-know law’.

City of Nashua Mishandled Abatements

January 28, 2020 Laurie Ortolano

After the KRT Appraisal assessment update in 2018, almost 400 abatements were filed with the City.The City was unable to handle the workload, so they hired KRT Appraisal to review 52 of the residential abatement requests.