by Ed Naile

A “Cease and Desist” order has been issued by the Attorney General’s office to the individuals behind the creation and publication of the anti-SB2 yellow flyer mailed to thousands of households shortly before ballot day in 2009. One of the individuals named in the complaint was former School Board member and Chair Laurie Whitley whose return address was on the flyers and who signed many of them.

The Attorney General’s office found that the flier violated RSA 664:14

According to the Attorney General’s election complaint process, complaints will be resolved in one of the following ways:

(1) Criminal Prosecution
(2) Civil Prosecution
(3) Cease and Desist Order
(4) Written Warning
(5) Closure Letter with Recommendations
(6) Closure Letter, Complaint Unfounded.

Issuance of a Cease and Desist order indicates that the violation was serious and may have altered the outcome of the ballot question. That was the basis for the complaint.

The School Board and Superintendent have stated that they were not contacted by the Attorney Generals office.

The Attorney General’s letter follows.

Cease and Desist Letter

You can also view the actual Cease and Desist orders here:

Moultonborough Speaks [Editor’s Note: This page has since been deleted by the owner of the blog who decided to run for office as a Democrat.]

CNHT Note: This violation had to do with unsigned political advertisements. However, parents who provide contact information such as address, phone, email to their child’s school do so with the idea that it will only be used for sending information about their child’s activities in that school or for emergency contact purposes. They do not expect that the law will be violated and that these addresses will be used to send out political messages. It is called “compelled speech” and is against NH law. If you receive any political flyers brought home from school with your child, emails of a political nature asking you to vote on contracts or protest something, or phone calls from your child’s school asking you to vote this way or that, please report these incidents to us right away.