CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – The head of the state Democratic Party said Thursday that Gov. Craig Benson should have publicly disclosed his multimillion dollar investment in an exclusive golf club regulated by the state.
Kathy Sullivan said Benson omitted the investment from his financial disclosure forms as a candidate and as governor, and noted that the golf club recently was granted an amendment to its wetlands permit by the state Department of Environmental Security.
At the time the permit was granted, Bob Monaco was the interim DES commissioner, appointed by Benson, a Republican. Monaco was a former employee of Cabletron System, a company founded by Benson.
Speaking at a news conference, Sullivan asked the attorney general’s office to look into the matter.
The attorney general’s office was looking at Sullivan’s comment.
Chris Reid, the governor’s legal counsel, said Benson and Monaco had nothing to do with the wetland’s request.
“In fact, nobody knew about it” (in the governor’s office), he said. “A career DES employee did it (granted the permit). They did it exactly the way they would do it for anyone else.”
“Where is the conflict?” he said.
Further, he said the governor’s membership in the Golf Club of New England in Greenland is well known, his ownership of the company that holds the mortgage was fully disclosed, and the mortgage was a public document.
“There’s nothing hidden here,” he said.
Sullivan said Benson is the sole manager of Soft Draw Investments LLC, which holds a $12 million mortgage on the golf club.
“This is information the people of New Hampshire should have had and the Executive Council should have had” when Benson appointed Monaco.
“Accountability should start in the governor’s office,” Sullivan said.
Republican Councilor Peter Spaulding did not seem to think the council needed more information when it considered Monaco’s appointment.
He said a connection between a governor and a commissioner “could be true of every governor.”
“There’s no indication the permit was wrongly granted,” he said, adding that it would be different if Monaco was a principal in the golf club.
AP-ES-06-12-03 1921EDT
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