New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Resigns After $50K Scheme Revealed
Summary
New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald resigned after admitting he broke rules related to a staff change that led to a top worker receiving nearly $50,000 in benefits. This ended a five-year period as chief justice after an ethics investigation found he acted improperly.Key Facts
- Gordon MacDonald, 64, resigned as Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
- He admitted to violating three parts of the state's Code of Judicial Conduct.
- The case involved MacDonald’s role in laying off and quickly rehiring Dianne Martin, a Judicial Branch employee.
- Martin received close to $50,000 in unused sick and vacation benefits during the brief layoff.
- The Judicial Conduct Committee found MacDonald failed to avoid favoritism and did not perform his duties competently.
- The New Hampshire attorney general’s office found no criminal wrongdoing but said the personnel actions did not follow best practices.
- Governor Kelly Ayotte expressed disappointment about the violations and accepted MacDonald’s resignation.
- The situation raised concerns about public trust in the judicial system’s impartiality.
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