CONCORD, NH – New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella has issued a cease-and-desist order against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee following a letter it sent to the New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP).
In the letter [see below] the Committee says that the 2024 New Hampshire Presidential Primary is “meaningless,” “detrimental” and “negative.” The Committee also referred to the Primary not as a primary, but as an “event,” and that no delegates will be selected for the Democratic National Convention from the New Hampshire’s Democratic Primary.
Additionally, the letter said that the Primary could “disenfranchise and confuse” voters.
The DNC has stated that South Carolina would have the first Presidential Primary in its nominating calendar, taking New Hampshire out of compliance with its rules.
Formella noted that New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) Chapter 653:9 requires that the state must have a Presidential Primary Election a week preceding any similar election. He added that calling the Presidential Primary as “meaningless,” regardless of whether it would award delegates to the national convention, is a violation of NH RSA Chapter 659:40 III, which states “No person shall engage in voter suppression by knowingly attempting to prevent or deter another person from voting or registering to vote based on fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, or spurious grounds or information.”
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley released the following statement after the cease-and-desist letter was issued.
Well, it’s safe to say in New Hampshire, the DNC is less popular than the NY Yankees.
State law requires the New Hampshire Secretary of State to conduct the first-in-the-nation primary and he is going to follow the law — period. Nothing has changed, and we look forward to seeing a great Democratic voter turnout on January 23rd.
House Majority Floor Leader Joe Sweeney (R-Salem) released the following statement
I find it deeply concerning that the Democratic National Committee has dismissed our state’s primary as ‘meaningless’ and ‘detrimental’ in a recent communication intended for New Hampshire voters to read in a gross act of electioneering. I’m proud that over 70 House Republicans share these concerns, and we’ve jointly co-signed a letter to the Attorney General requesting a thorough review of this matter. We believe the DNC’s actions may potentially violate New Hampshire law, specifically regarding voter suppression and intimidation. This isn’t just a matter of policy; it’s a matter of upholding the very foundations of our Republic. New Hampshire takes our First in the Nation status seriously, and we won’t stand idly by while anyone attempts to diminish the significance of our electoral process.
We’ve documented instances within the DNC’s communication that we believe warrant scrutiny and public attention. Our state deserves the respect it has earned through its long-standing tradition of civic engagement. We’ll continue to fight to ensure that the voices of our citizens are heard and that our electoral integrity remains intact.
We expect a fair and thorough investigation from the Attorney General’s office, and we’ll keep the public informed as this matter progresses.
