Federal prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, charged three New Hampshire men with conspiring to commit stalking through interstate travel. The case involves New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) reporters who have had bricks thrown through their windows, and threats spray painted on their homes in a year-long harassment and intimidation campaign against them.
The vandalism started after the station refused to remove an article exposing Eric Spofford’s alleged sexual crimes. As a result, Spofford filed a defamation case, which was dismissed in April 2023. Nonetheless, a state Superior Court judge ordered NHRP to hand over interviews and documents supporting their news report, including emails between the station’s reporters. They were ordered to produce unedited “recordings and notes from six interviews, including two with anonymous sources, to the court for review ahead of a possible refining of the suit.”
The wealthy, politically connected founder of Granite Treatment Centers (GRC) was unhappy about the March 2022 NHPR article. According to the public radio station, the story revealed sexual harassment claims against the self-proclaimed former substance abuser and alcoholic.
During the station’s investigation, reporters “discovered multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, abusive leadership, and retaliation by Spofford while he was CEO of GRC.” He adamantly denies these charges against his character.
While the acts of vandalism and threats have not been tied to Spofford, his anger and the violence against NHPR’s Lauren Choolijian and Dan Barrick are too coincidental.
Harassment and Intimidation Campaign
Chooljian and Barrick have dealt with the article’s backlash for over a year. Finally, on June 15, 2023, federal prosecutors filed charges against Tucker Cockerline, Michael Waselchuck, and Keenan Saniatan. According to court records, agents apprehended Cocklerlin and Waselchuck on June 16. However, Saniatan remained at large.
According to the Freedom of the Press tracker, FBI reports indicate the men charged with harassment and intimidation “conspired with at least one other person — a close personal associate of Spofford— to retaliate against the NHRP journalists for their investigation.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts documents indicate the first two harassment and intimidation attempts happened on the night of April 24-25, 2022. The accused vandalized Chooljian’s former home and Barricks home with the C-word spray painted in red letters on the front doors. They also targeted Choolijan’s parent’s home throwing a rock through a front window and tagging their garage with the word.
Then, on May 21, the accused again vandalized the reporter’s parent’s home. On the same night, the vandals hit Choolijan’s current residence, spray painting the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” across the house.
“Attorneys for NHPR have since asked the court to rescind or change the scope of its order in light of the arrests on harassment charges.” As of June 30, the court had not responded.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Sentry News denounce these 1st Amendment violations. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to exercise free speech and a free press.
5 incidents of vandalism targeting journalists.
The c-word spray-painted in red on my parents’ garage. 2 separate times.
The c-word in red on @danielbarrick’s front door. And on a house I used to live in. Bricks thrown through windows.
Here’s my house. It’s not okay. pic.twitter.com/N6KJnOmsJt
— Lauren Chooljian (@laurenchooljian) May 31, 2022
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
TB Daily News: NHPR Reporter Has Bricks Thrown Through Windows 2 Days After Refusing To Remove Article Exposing Alleged Sexual Predator, Granite State Recovery Founder Eric Spofford; by Aidan Kearney
Freedom of the Press Foundation: ‘It’s not OK’: Journalists’ houses vandalized, death threats to reporters
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Three men charged with vandalizing homes of two NH radio journalists
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: NHPR ordered to turn over reporter interviews, notes
Featured and Top Image by Gerd Altman Courtesy of Pixabay – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Sébastien Bourguet Courtesy of Unsplash
