New Hampshire Governor Faces Ethics Complaint After Waterville Valley Tweet
Governor Sununu and his family own Waterville Valley Resort.
Thursday, March 23, 2017, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
The New Hampshire Democratic Party has filed a complaint demanding "an immediate investigation" and "all warranted penalties" in response to a photo Governor Chris Sununu tweeted of himself and his son skiing at Waterville Valley Resort.
Gov. Chris Sununu's March 18 Tweet
The complaint, to be filed with the Executive Branch Ethics Committee by party chair Ray Buckley, is directed at a March 18, 2017 tweet in which Sununu stated he was "enjoying the best snow NH has to offer" at Waterville Valley.
The complaint alleges that, "Through the use of his twitter [sic] account, Governor Sununu used his position with the state - "to secure advantages for himself" and "advantages for others" by promoting a business he and his family members have a financial interest in."
Since 2010, Sununu has been part owner of the resort, which is a direct competitor with state owned and operated Cannon Mountain. In his three terms on the Executive Council, Sununu routinely recused himself from all Cannon related votes and did not block millions of dollars of state spending at the state funded ski area.
Sununu spokesperson David Abrams stated that, "Gov. Sununu posts to his social media accounts as he travels all across the state." The Boston Globe reports that Sununu has promoted other entities via his Twitter account, including Belknap County owned and operated Gunstock Mountain Resort.
