Concord, NH — The New Hampshire Republican Party today responded to Councilor Karen Liot Hill’s press conference by calling out her continued efforts to deflect from the substance of the New Hampshire Department of Justice’s findings regarding her conduct in office.

New Hampshire has a well-deserved reputation for clean government, high ethical standards, and public officials who understand that integrity and probity are foundational, not optional. Against the backdrop of these expectations, the Department of Justice’s conclusions regarding Councilor Liot Hill’s actions are especially troubling.

The DOJ determined that it was not appropriate for Liot Hill to use her official position to secure a privilege or advantage for an outside organization to which it was not entitled, and further found that her actions and communications created a risk inconsistent with the responsibilities of her office.

“This was a deliberate abuse of power,” said former Speaker and RNC Committeeman Bill O’Brien. “The New Hampshire Department of Justice found that Councilor Liot Hill used her position in an improper way that created risk for the state. That is a serious breach of the trust Granite Staters place in their public officials.”

O’Brien continued, “Public office does not grant a license to hand out favors or advantages to political allies. In New Hampshire, where ethical conduct in government matters deeply, voters expect accountability when the DOJ finds conduct to be improper and risky, not slippery excuses and cynical spin.”

Liot Hill’s conduct reflects a broader pattern of lapses in judgment, including two prior DUI convictions and a pending investigation into her campaign’s finances. The DOJ’s findings describe not an isolated incident, but part of an ongoing failure to meet the standards Granite Staters rightly expect from those entrusted with public office. Because she so obviously cannot rise to those standards, she ought to resign from public office.

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