By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org

In a statement Wednesday morning, Rep. Ken Weyler, R-Kingston, apologized for “insensitive” remarks he made last week about YDC abuse victims, then in the afternoon again insinuated some are lying, adding they do so at the encouragement of their overpaid lawyers.

“This has been a real budget buster, this YDC,” Weyler said Wednesday afternoon at the House Finance Division 1 public hearing on state budget matters. He was referring to the 1,400 people suing the state in the ongoing scandal claiming they were sexually and physically abused as children when they were incarcerated in the state’s juvenile detention facility.

“Some of the people are saying the reason there’s so many is the lawyers are out advertising, encouraging people and some of them are making up stories and that has to be all sorted out,” Weyler said when Attorney General John Formella was laying out his department’s budget recommendations before the committee Wednesday afternoon.

It was at the meeting of the same committee one week ago that Weyler, the chairman of the House Finance Committee, made the remarks mocking YDC victims that he apologized for Wednesday morning. The apology came after House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson complained to House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, calling for Weyler to be recused from all matters involving the YDC settlement fund because of last week’s remarks. Weyler later said he wouldn’t recuse himself.

On Wednesday afternoon, Weyler also said the Youth Development Center victims should be required to accept compulsory counseling.

“If you refuse to take the counseling, you don’t get the money,” Weyler said. “We’re trying to help you. The whole purpose is to help the people who have been wronged.”

There should be some set number of hours of counseling required, Weyler said.

If they say, “No I don’t want the counseling, then you don’t get the money,” Weyler said.

Formella said he didn’t know of any similar requirement on settlements in other types of cases.

Weyler said the counselling is important for victims who otherwise, “They’re just going to go out and blow it and have their friends to grab a piece.”

“We want to give you some guidance on how you can mend your life instead of just woo going to Vegas,” Weyler said.

The legislature set up the settlement fund in 2022 to pay victims who do not file abuse claims in Superior Court. The original total was was set at $100 million, which has already been increased, and Formella said there is no way of predicting the total in the long run. Victims have until June 30 to file a claim with the settlement fund.

Weyler also said the 33 1/3 percent of the YDC settlements, the maximum that lawyers are entitled to if paid through the state’s fund, should be reduced.

A lawyer representing 100 claimants in the YDC settlement fund isn’t doing the same amount of work that he did in the first four or five cases for the rest and therefore should get less money, Weyler said.

“Otherwise they’re going to think this is their get rich quick scheme,” Weyler said of the lawyers representing the YDC victims.

Formella did say what lawyers are paid to represent YDC victims should continue to be scrutinized, calling it “another piece of this we have to evaluate.”

On Wednesday morning, a news release on behalf of Weyler was sent to the press saying: “I sincerely apologize for my insensitive remarks regarding the Youth Development Center victims. Victim-blaming has no place in any conversation, especially when it comes to those who have endured such trauma.”

Rather, he said his role as chairman of Finance “is to acknowledge the concerns surrounding public resources and the strain that further compensation may place on taxpayers. I’m required to distill it down to economics.

“That being said, we recognize the breach of trust that resulted in these crimes, and it is crucial that we work together to ensure accountability and healing while also being mindful of the broader financial implications. I remain committed to addressing these issues with the respect, understanding, and care they deserve,” Weyler said.

The statements about YDC victims that started the controversy last week included Weyler saying:

“When I looked at this it seemed like a feeding frenzy for lawyers…The average citizen keeps their nose clean, works hard to prepare themselves for a career, works hard for 40 or 50 years in a career and you’re lucky if you made $2 million in your whole career.”

Weyler went on: “Here’s someone who didn’t obey the rules, still doesn’t obey the rules and they come to court and they expect millions when they perhaps spent a misspent life.  I just don’t see the ridiculousness.

“Maybe we should put a limit on this….

“We can’t break the budget with this ridiculousness for people who haven’t obeyed the rules and oh you’re rewarded, rewarded for what, a misspent life? It just doesn’t make sense to me that someone who got abused, abused others and abused themselves should be rewarded and that’s the way it looks and someone on the streets says, ‘YDC, I’ll just say they abused me and I’ll become a millionaire. This is the example were setting,” Weyler said.