Lawmakers Accused Of Sexual Misconduct In NH Since 2017

CONCORD, NH — Two former New Hampshire lawmakers were among more than 100 across the country accused of sexual misconduct in the four years since the onset of the national “#MeToo” reckoning in 2017, according to data collected by The Associated Press.

The state lawmakers are among other politicians, entertainers and business leaders exposed in the social justice movement to end sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The movement began in 2017 when movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, now a convicted sex offender, was accused by more than 80 women of sexual misconduct allegations dating back to the late 1970s.

The movement that inspired the #MeToo hashtag also prompted a flurry of new legislation, training requirements for legislators and investigative guidelines in statehouses across America, including in New Hampshire.

The AP compiled the database as part of its ongoing coverage of how politicians are responding to sexual misconduct claims. It includes state lawmakers only.

It doesn’t include members of Congress or other elected officials investigated regarding sexual misconduct claims — notably New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is embroiled in a sexual harassment investigation, or Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, who was initially investigated in connection with sex trafficking and now faces a larger review into public corruption.

Some of the allegations against state lawmakers are no less serious.

Nationally, more than 40 of the accused state lawmakers have resigned or were expelled from office, and at least as many others faced other repercussions, including the loss of committee leadership positions, The AP reported. A handful were cleared.

The lawmakers included in the database are predominantly men, but a couple of women also have been accused of sexual misconduct. Both Democrats and Republicans are the subjects of what could be career-ending investigations.

In New Hampshire, former state Rep. Eric Schleien (R-Hudson) was arrested in 2017 on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge, accused of groping a girl while on a date. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in October 2018 to a misdemeanor assault charge — kissing the 16-year-old girl's hand.

Schleien met the girl, who was part of a Phillips Exeter Academy summer student program, during a date at a Portsmouth cafe in July 2016. Later, while driving with her, the girl said Schleien engaged in sexually explicit talk, groped her, and kissed her hand.

Schleien was elected to the Legislature in 2015, to represent Hudson and Pelham, when he was 26 — one of the youngest representatives in the nation at the time.

Former State Sen. Andy Sanborn (R-Bedford) was accused of harassment but cleared in June 2018 by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.

The allegation against him involved a male intern who was reportedly paid to keep quiet about an inappropriate comment made by Sanborn in 2013. The incident, which occurred in the basement office he shared with then-state Sen. Jim Forsythe (R-Stoddard), involved a joke about oral sex. His wife, state Rep. Laurie Sanborn (R-Bedford), was present at the time of the remark.

Sanborn, according to media reports, called the comment "a crass joke" which was being used by his "political enemies to discredit" him while he was seeking the Republican nomination for Congress. The allegations and release of documents sunk Sanborn's campaign — he lost to Eddie Edwards in the GOP primary by around 3,000 votes. Chris Pappas, a Democrat who easily bested nine other candidates and is still in the seat, beat Edwards by around 25,000 votes in November 2018.

Documents released by the attorney general suggested Sanborn was temporarily not allowed to have an aide after initially declining to participate in sexual harassment training. A release of investigatory documents by the attorney general in August 2018 found a couple of women in the state Senate who said they felt uncomfortable when Sanborn complimented them on their clothes and how they looked. The same male intern also told an investigator Sanborn commented on the appearance of a female intern and said he might want to have sex with her, according to press reports.

Neither Schleien nor Sanborn returned requests for comment about their cases.

About three-fourths of the states have passed some 75 laws and resolutions over the past two years that target sexual harassment, abuse or assault in government or in private business. About half the states renewed or extended deadlines to pursue criminal charges or civil lawsuits over childhood sexual abuse.

In New Hampshire in 2019, the Legislature, when it was controlled by Democrats, approved SB 235, a bill which authorized an independent human resources employee to investigate complaints of sexual harassment involving lawmakers, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Complaints previously were reported to the House or Senate chiefs of staff.

States also updated their sexual harassment policies and required training of lawmakers on appropriate workplace conduct. At least 45 House chambers and 43 Senate chambers now require legislators to receive training on appropriate workplace conduct and on preventing, identifying and reporting sexual misconduct.

About half of state legislative chambers have turned to independent investigators to look into complaints of sexual misconduct and harassment by lawmakers.

New Hampshire also requires training for state lawmakers. However, some state representatives in 2020 refused to take the training. Fourteen members of the House failed to participate in approximately eight training sessions both by state officials and member-led classes. In February 2020, the House spent about four hours reprimanding the members who attended the session, convicting seven of the eight members including state Rep. Betsy McKinney, R-Londonderry, who was 80 at the time.

"I accept the reprimand," she said at the time. "I knew what the consequences were when I made my decision. I will never go to sexual harassment training. I'm 80 years old and will not sexually harass anyone, but my seat mate."

State representatives and potential state representatives being convicted or accused of crimes or behaving badly happen in New Hampshire although it is rare.

Most recently, Brett Gagnon, a Democrat candidate for the Hillsborough County District 37 seat made it through the primary but missed winning one of 11 seats, coming in 13th. He was arrested on assault charges in January 2019. All but one charge dropped.

In December 2017, state Rep. Katherine Rogers (D-Concord), admitted to assaulting Susan Olsen, a former candidate from Warner, during a in November 2016 recount. As part of a plea deal, she was required to take anger management classes. During her hearing, a number of Democrats, including then-minority leader Steve Shurtleff attended her hearing, lending her support. Shurtleff, however, failed to request that she resign — something he did to Schleien before he was even convicted.

And back in March 2016, then-state Rep. Kyle Tasker (R-Nottingham) was arrested on allegations he tried to lure an underage girl for sex on Facebook. He was also charged with drug dealing. Tasker previously made headlines for dropping his gun during a Public Safety Committee hearing in 2012, making jokes about battered women on Facebook, and he got into a dustup about the need for a "white caucus of state legislators."