Editor's note: This is a weekly series focusing on the 2010 campaign for the Statehouse and Capitol Hill. The primary is Sept. 14. The general election is Nov. 2.
Gov. John Lynch's campaign is asking the attorney general to look into whether Republican opponent John Stephen's campaign exceeded legal campaign contribution limits.
"The John Stephen campaign has accepted $33,058 in contributions — including $23,000 from the Dunkin' Donuts franchises in Massachusetts and Connecticut — that appear to be exceed those allowed under state finance law and previous interpretation of that law," said Pamela Walsh, campaign manager for NH for John Lynch.
"We are asking the Attorney General to quickly clarify whether these contributions are acceptable under New Hampshire law, or whether they exceed legal contribution limits and should be returned."
According to the Lynch campaign, about 13 percent of Stephen's campaign funds — $124,000 — come from a series of businesses that share two addresses in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Lynch campaign has called on Stephen to come clean about the donors, including their interests in New Hampshire, and about whether there are any New Hampshire businesses or citizens invested in these companies.
Based on state law and previous attorney general opinions, the Lynch campaign said previous candidates for governor — including Lynch — have operated on the understanding that if candidates have officially filed for office and opted not to voluntarily limit their expenditures, their campaigns are subject to contribution limits of $1,000 for the primary and $1,000 for the general election.
This limit does not apply to a campaign prior to a candidate's filing for office, but the Lynch campaign said those "pre-declaration" contributions still must be attributed to either the primary or the general elections. And the campaign claims Stephen's campaign is not counting those contributions toward either.
Stephen's campaign fired back, however, saying it has confirmed with the secretary of state's office that its campaign practices fall within state law.
"If John Lynch had bothered to walk across the hall to the secretary of state's office instead of filing frivolous investigations, he'd know that his accusations are meritless," Stephen spokesman Greg Moore said.
He went on to criticize the governor for wasting state resources by asking the attorney general to look into the "pointless" claim.
"It's no wonder that under John Lynch's leadership we are staring at an $800 million budget deficit," Moore said.
Opponents pile on Ayotte
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte continues to draw fire for failing to take action to prevent the FRM scandal during her time as New Hampshire's attorney general.
Democratic opponent Paul Hodes and GOP opponents Jim Bender and Bill Binnie criticized Ayotte last week following the release of a draft report on the FRM Ponzi scheme.
The report from the joint House and Senate Commerce committee hearings placed some of the blame for the scandal on Ayotte.
"Despite her efforts to duck responsibility and point fingers, this latest report shows that Kelly Ayotte shares the blame for failing to stop New Hampshire's largest Ponzi scheme," the Hodes campaign said in a statement. "In addition to the state legislative committee, the attorney general's report and the victims of the fraud themselves have said she bears responsibility. When will Kelly Ayotte finally come to terms with the fact that she made mistakes, missed opportunities, and is responsible for her own agency's failures?"
Bender said the legislative report "only affirms the fact that Kelly Ayotte is not who we thought she was. How can we expect her to go to Washington and protect the taxpayer when she failed to protect the hard-earned savings of the citizens of New Hampshire? This is not the kind of leadership we need in Washington."
"Let's get ready to rumble ..."
That wasn't the only hit Ayotte took last week. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, an official party group working to elect Democrats to the Senate, issued a press release criticizing the former attorney general for accepting $4,800 in campaign donations from Linda McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO who recently won the Republican Senate nomination in Connecticut.
"If Kelly Ayotte is going to accept thousands of dollars from WWE CEO Linda McMahon, who made her millions peddling sex and violence to kids, thinks the health impact of steroids is not "conclusive," and denied her wrestlers health insurance, she should have to say if she condones McMahon's embattled record," DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy said.
Pro-choice leaders unite for Kuster
Democrat Ann McLane Kuster, a candidate for the 2nd District Congressional seat, was endorsed by national and state pro-choice leaders on Thursday.
The group of endorsers included the founder of EMILY'S List, the president of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire, as well as a group of New Hampshire pro-choice activists. Combined, these groups count well over 30,000 New Hampshire voters as active supporters.
"The voters in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District are looking for a champion of women's health," said Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. "Ann McLane Kuster is that candidate. She will stand up for women and families and put common sense health care needs ahead of ideology and politics."
Kuster said she is honored to have the support of the pro-choice groups.
"These are the groups that stand up for women and I'm proud to have them standing with me," she said. "My campaign for Congress is about bringing a new approach to Washington that focuses on what's best for people, not politics as usual. There is no question that on this issue, what's best for people is that we don't have politicians trying to interfere between a woman and her medical provider."
Kuster has also been endorsed by the National Organization for Women, the National Women's Political Caucus, Women's Action for a New Direction, the Women's Campaign Forum, and the Feminist Majority PAC.
Minuteman Project founder backs Bender
Bender, one of Ayotte's opponents in the Sept. 14 Republican primary, was endorsed last week by Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project.
"America needs real leaders like Jim Bender to take common sense values to Washington, D.C.," Gilchrist said at a press conference in Concord. "Jim will ensure that Congress actually enforces current immigration laws to protect the jobs of Americans and the dollars of taxpayers. That is why I wholeheartedly endorse Jim Bender to be the newest member from New Hampshire in the United States Senate."
The Minutemen Project is a group formed in an effort to get the U.S. government to enforce existing immigration laws, a big issue for Bender.
