NHDP Files Complaint Against New Hampshire Firearms Coalition

Concord, N.H. – Today, the New Hampshire Democratic Party filed an election law complaint against the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition (NHFC) for refusing to put its name and required disclaimer on hateful signs it printed that depict New Hampshire Democrats as Nazis.

On October 30th, the NHFC brought a professionally printed banner and posters with the faces of House and Senate Democrats next to swastikas and Nazi Germany flags into a New Hampshire House committee hearing. The signs advocated against House Bill 687 – common sense gun legislation that allows Granite Staters or law enforcement to intervene if someone is at risk of hurting themselves or another person with a gun. The signs did not include the legally required political disclaimer.

“The New Hampshire gun lobby made heinous signs calling our Democratic legislators Nazis, but they were too scared to own up to their hateful rhetoric and put their name on it,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “This is a new low for the gun lobby, and it’s also against the law.”

New Hampshire’s political advertising legal code is clear: “political advertising to promote the success or defeat of a measure by a business organization, labor union, or other enterprise or organization shall be signed.” 

According to the law, any signs advocating the success or defeat of a legislative measure must include the name and address of the chairman or treasurer of the responsible organization and the name of the organization that paid for the communication.

“This gun lobby group has been emboldened by a president who regularly incites hatred and violence, and a governor and New Hampshire Republican Party that stays completely silent when organizations or members of their caucus spew hate,” said Buckley. “We’re filing this complaint, because if you’re going to spew this kind of hate, you better be willing to put your name on it.”

You can read the full complaint here.