New Hampshire House Censures Weare State Representative For Social Media Posts

By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org, InDepth NH

CONCORD, NH — Rep. Travis Corcoran, R-Weare, was censured by the House Thursday for several posts on social media deemed inappropriate and offensive attacking fellow House members.

Corcoran, as he has since the controversy surfaced this spring, refused to apologize Thursday and asked his fellow Representatives to vote to censure him to “bring this comedy to a conclusion.”

“I have not apologized and I will not because I have done nothing wrong,” he said. “It is the theater kids in this chamber who should apologize to me.”

Corcoran was censured for two tweets on the social media X platform.

In one he asked Stephen Miller, who is the Trump administration official in charge of its deportation program, to deport Rep. Luz Bay, D-Dover, who is a naturalized citizen of Philippine descent.

In the other tweet, Corcoran suggested Rep. Jessica Grill, D-Manchester, who is Jewish, was due a “final solution” after she posted a social media invitation for other House members to join a karaoke caucus. The “final solution” refers to the term Nazi leaders used for their genocide plan for European Jews.

House Minority Leader Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, filed a complaint with House Speaker Sherman Packard, who asked his bipartisan advisory group to meet with Corcoran and address the complaint, but he did not attend the meeting.

The group suggested the House Speaker write a letter cautioning Corcoran about his activities, which he did saying “In our work on behalf of the citizens of New Hampshire, in our interactions and words with each other and members of the public, we should always be aware of how we as individuals represent our office and this historic institution.”

Later Simpson asked the House to reprimand Corcoran and Packard referred the matter to the Legislative Administration Committee which recommended he be censused after a two-and-a-half hour hearing on a 10-2 vote.

At the hearing Corcoran called the investigation political theater and said he was making a joke in his posting about Grill, who he said he didn’t know was Jewish, although he has made other antisemitic racist postings.

During the census, Rep. Donald McFarlane, R-Orange, spoke against the action, cautioning lawmakers they may find what Corcoran said hateful, offensive and unbecoming a legislator, but it is political speech which can be ugly, hateful, offensive and sharp.

“We are being asked to establish a precedent that is more dangerous than his tweet and tasteless remarks,” McFarlane said, on vague, undefined offenses without any real guideline or principle.

“Every member in this chamber should be troubled,” he said.

“Once this House crosses that line we cannot easily uncross it.”

What is the charge, what is the offense and what is the standard, he asked. He has waited to hear what are the specifics Corcoran has committed that warrant such action, but he has not, McFarlane said.

“Political speech is not confined to polite speech,” he said, “that is the whole point of free political speech” to protect speech that shocks or offends or intimidates.

What are the grounds for censure, McFarlane asked, noting he was called a racist on the floor of the House, not outside it where Corcoran’s offenses occurred, and he did not ask for a reprimand or censure.

“In politics, people say ugly things,” he said, noting you do not want to censure someone for expressing one viewpoint over another or you weaken free speech.

They should be very hesitant to punish speech, he said.

“The voters of Weare are fully capable of judging Rep. Corcoran,” McFarlane said.

In his short speech, Corcoran said he did not have an antisemitic problem, but Democrats in the House did, citing several instances where unnamed members said things opposing Israel or Jewish people.

He said he has learned the most important thing in drama is a satisfying third act, and he said Concord is a stage.

Simpson noted Corcoran had not apologized although it was obvious from his public hearing the impact his social media posting had on people who are his targets.

“In our discussion we heard a lot about the right to free speech,” Simpson said. “Rep. Corcoran has the right to say hateful things online and not be arrested for his posts.”

But there is no place for discrimination, racism and antisemitism in the public square, she said. “Let’s put this ugly incident behind us.”

The vote to censure Corcoran was 288-54.

In February, the House voted to reprimand Rep. Paige Beauchemin, D-Nashua, for giving the finger to Gov. Kelly Ayotte during her state of the state speech.

Other House members have been censured for various behavior over the years including former House Speaker Gene Chandler, R-Bartlett, and Rep. Roland Hemon, D-Dover.

Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.

Correction: A previous version of this story mistakenly said Rep. Paige Beauchemin was censured. It should have said Rep. Beauchemin was reprimanded.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.