by Ed Naile
As luck would have it, being involved with local taxpayer issues gives one a unique perspective of people who run for office in this small state.
Case in point: Ashland, the year 2000, where the Town Manager, Rosie McNamara, misappropriated at least, according to auditors and her own testimony, one million taxpayer dollars. The auditors could show $1.4 million missing before it became too expensive to keep looking. Rosie claimed, AFTER she made a deal with the NH AG at the time, Phil McLaughlin, she took at least one million dollars from Ashland taxpayers for her own use. McLaughlin claimed he couild not find that much spent on her lifestyle.
Let’s break it down.
Rosie McNamara stole whatever money she could get her chubby hands on during her term as Town Manager in Ashland, except fire department funds, she must have liked the firemen. When taxpayers asked questions or challenged her they were labeled as malcontents, outsiders, or people filled with negativity. This is the usual tactic of a municipal thief. She even took shots at citizens who asked questions in the Town Managers report. Nice touch.
But see how the power wagons circle after she is caught. These are interesting power wagons to say the least.
Rosie was “prosecuted” by then Attorney General Phil McLaughlin – for only $111,000.00 of what was missing. This was all he felt comfortable prosecuting her for – less than 10% of what was stolen. She served four years in the women’s prison from what I can tell. The NH Municipal Assoc., the insurer of the town, paid the town over $600,000.00 for the loss. (This is another sordid story I will do later.)
Rosie was ordered to pay back the Town of Ashland 10% of her salary at some call center, $23.00 per week. This year, 2008, Rosie has paid Ashland $900.00 in restitution.
At the time, Rosie’s excuse for stealing was she had mental and emotional problems. After getting caught she claimed she was left indigent, as in, has no money. This would allow the average person involved in a crime to have a court appointed lawyer. Remember this part.
I went to Rosie McNamara’s January 2003 parole hearing and tried to testify that she had really stolen $1.4 million NOT just $111,000.00 and she should be required to sit down and write up a detailed statement showing exactly how she accomplished a crime of this scale so other towns could protect themselves from unscrupulous town managers (school superintendents as well). I was told by the three members of the parole board that I was “beyond the scope of the hearing”. (This being “outside the scope of the hearing” happens to me a lot, especially with voter fraud in NH.)
Rosie’s lawyer looked miffed when I spoke up.
Did I mention Rosie McNamara’s lawyer was Paul Hodes of the Shaheen Law Firm? This would be the same Paul Hodes who is one of our current Democrat congressmen and the same firm owned by the husband of the then sitting Democrat Governor, Jeanne Shaheen, a perennial candidate for the US Senate.
Some other details: The Attorney General who “prosecuted” Rosie for less than 10% of what she took was appointed by Jeanne Shaheen as was the entire Parole Board who let her out.
Not a bad deal if you are Rosie McNamara, the Grand Master of municipal theft in New Hampshire – that would be the municipal theft we know about. Try stealing a million from a private source and see what happens to you.
I understand indigent criminals are supposed to have court appointed lawyers, but are they entitled to a Democrat Dream Team to get them off the hook? O.J should have grabbed back his sports paraphernalia in NH. He would be out doing a bow-legged victory dance right now with this crowd on his side.
A question for then Attorney Paul Hodes:
Didn’t you kinda, sorta, maybe for a minute, think it might be a conflict of interest to defend the biggest taxpayer rip-off of NH history when the firm you worked for was a family concern of the sitting Governor who appointed the prosecutor as well as the parole board overseeing the future of your client – stupid question.
No wonder Paul Hodes and Jeanne Shaheen are so eager to have Washington, DC careers, they fit right in.