NH State Rep Advocates Burning and Looting

State Representative James Spillane after his arrest for DUI in 2017. (Still wearing his giant NH House name badge.) 



It was only a week ago that a NH House Republican made national news. Last week State Representative Robert Forsyth was charged with felony domestic violence. House Minority Leader Dick Hinch did his best to protect Forsythe, but after the governor called on Forsythe to resign, there was no saving him. Forsythe resigned. 

When NH House Republicans make national news, it's never because they've done something that is a credit to their office or the state. 

This week, a different NH House Republican is making national news. Rep. James Spillane seems to generate a newsworthy event every year. This year, it's about Black Lives Matter. From Josh Rogers at NHPR:

The New Hampshire Department of Justice is investigating Rep. James Spillane over a Facebook post in which the Deerfield lawmaker advocated for burning and looting houses displaying Black Lives Matter signs.

“Public Service Announcement,” Spillane wrote in the post from earlier this week. “If you see a BLM sign on a lawn, it’s the same as having a porch light on at Halloween. You are free to burn and loot that house.” As of Thursday afternoon, the post appears to have been deleted from Spillane’s page.

Predictably, the House Minority Leader defends his wayward lad:

House Minority Leader Dick Hinch says the language in Deerfield Rep. James Spillane’s now-deleted post was inexcusable, but Hinch told WMUR he also trusts Spillane ”meant no harm.”

Last year Spillane made the news for tweeting out a photo of a squirrel he shot with a .50 caliber muzzleloader. As one might expect, the photo was quite gory, and Spillane was quite boastful. 

Dave Solomon at the Union Leader: 

Twitter immediately exploded with outrage that caught the attention of Fish and Game officers, who paid Spillane a visit last week and issued a warning, as reported in Thursday’s New Hampshire Union Leader.

“In light of the warning Rep. Spillane received from the Fish and Game Department due to his recent conduct we felt it was inappropriate for him to remain on the Fish and Game Committee and have removed him from his committee position,” Shurtleff announced in a statement released on Friday afternoon.

The move drew immediate criticism from House Republican leader Rep. Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack.

“Removing Rep. Spillane from the Fish and Game committee for a minor infraction is heavy-handed and I’m disappointed that the Speaker chose to take this action,” he said.

As always, Spillane's first instinct is to behave badly. As always, Dick Hinch's first instinct is to cosset Spillane, and protect him. He wasn't upset with Spillane  - he was upset with the Speaker for taking away Spillane's committee assignment. 

In 2017, Spillane was arrested for DUI. Alyssa Dandrea for the Concord Monitor:

A Deerfield state representative convicted of drunken driving in 2010 is facing new charges in Pembroke.

James Spillane, a third-term Republican legislator, was arrested May 4 and charged with two counts of driving while intoxicated. He also faces open container and yellow line violations.

This wasn't Spillane's first rodeo. His first DUI arrest included strangling his wife and the confiscation of 20 guns from his house. Miscellany Blue .

One wonders why Hinch is so desperate to keep this loose cannon in the House, when he reflects so badly on the legislature and the state. Then one remembers that this kind of thing seldom results in any consequences for House Republicans. Governor Sununu has NOT spoken up to suggest Spillane resign. Domestic violence is bad, but casual racism and violence? No big deal. After all, Hinch trusts that he meant no harm. 

Spillane's second DUI came after a jolly afternoon of drinking with some of his fellow legislators, including the former rape-resentative Robert "Red Pill" Fisher. 

Take Off Your NH House Name Badge Before You Go Drinkin'

Take Off Your NH House Name Badge Before You Go Drinkin'

This is NH State Representative James Spillane. He represents the towns of Deerfield, Candia, and Nottingham. He uses this photo on the NH General Court website. Note the giant badge affixed to his chest - you'll be seeing it again. 

He had a spot of legal trouble in 2010, when he was chair of the Deerfield Town Budget Committee. 

On March 12, 2010, Deerfield police received a call from a resident reporting a driver who drove away after “swerving all over the road” and crashing into his mailbox. As investigators followed tire tracks from the scene of the accident to a house on Swamp Road, a second 911 call came in from a woman at the same address who said her husband had just tried to kill her.

and

Police officers arrested Spillane on the scene and confiscated 20 guns from the house under a provision of state law that authorizes seizure if officers have probable cause to believe an act of domestic violence has occurred. Spillane’s wife declined the officers’ offer to seek a protective order.

 Read the whole story at Miscellany Blue . 

This being NH, and Spillane being a Republican, this did not end his political career. He ran for the NH House in 2014, and is currently serving his third term. 

This is Representative Spillane on May 4, wearing that same giant state rep. badge he's wearing in the photo at the top of the page. This time, though - the photo is a mug shot. 

Spillane was arrested on May 4 for DUI and having an open container. 

NH1 story.
Concord Monitor Story.

A teeensy little no photo story in the NH GOP propaganda arm, known as the Union Leader. It's almost as if they didn't want you to even notice. From the front page of the website:

     

The House was in session on May 4, so obviously Spillane went out drinking at some point during the day, while wearing his giant state rep. badge. (Maybe all that metal pinned on his jacket weighed him down so much he failed the field sobriety test?) 

He posted photos of the after session frivolity on instagram and twitter. Since the story broke, and people started spreading those photos around, he's made his twitter feed private, and made his instagram account inaccessible. Too late. 

Here he is - (before the mugshot)  next to Rape-resentative Robert  Fisher of Red Pill fame. Five Things to Know About GOP Rep. Robert Fisher- Miscellany Blue 

Fisher appears to have been smart enough to remove his House badge. Then again, under the circumstances, he probably didn't want anyone to know who he was, given that he's about as popular as chlamydia right now. 

Pro-tip: Next time, don't go out boozing while wearing your dinner plate sized name tag. 

At least he won't be driving for a while. Oh, and there's this, from the NH Legislative Handbook: