Boston Globe Investigates Ben Bartlett’s Resignation from the Legislature

On Wednesday, April 26 I reported that I had received an anonymous tip that Ben Bartlett would need to resign his seat in the NH House due to a violation of the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from holding partisan political office, such as being a legislator in state government. It does not apply to non-partisan seats, such as being a town Selectman.

Steven Porter, a reporter for the Boston Globe and a subscriber to this blog subsequently interviewed me about the situation. Porter was more successful in getting the Veterans Administration to return his calls than I was. 

Friday morning, April 28, the Boston Globe reported that the anonymous allegation was correct. Ben Bartlett is a federal employee working as a full-time dispatch supervisor for the Veteran Administration’s police service. 

A spokesperson for New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan told the Boston Globe the Hatch Act may apply if a member of the New Hampshire House is a federal employee. A spokesperson for the Veterans Administration told the Boston Globe that they are “aware of this situation and looking into the matter.”

This is likely to be a subject that will come up in the next Board of Selectmen meeting, presently scheduled to be on Monday, May 1 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall. According to Nottingham’s Code of Conduct for the Board of Selectmen, “Select Board members shall comply with Federal and State laws….”

The meeting already was going to be tense due to the increasing levels of public discomfort with the Fire Chief and Lieutenant continuing to be on paid administrative leave while anonymous accusations against the Chief are being investigated. Meanwhile, the content of those allegations continues to be withheld from the Chief, prompting concerns about whether the town is following due process. 

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