New Hampshire Democrat Political Operative Could Face Prosecution Over False Claims

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

Democratic operative Sebastian Fuentes, who once served as both the state party’s political director and a delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, prides himself on “speaking truth to power.”

Fuentes publicly resigned as Latino Caucus vice chair after Democrats U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas voted in favor of border enforcement policies, for example.

But when it comes to Republicans, the “truth” appears to be optional.

Fuentes posted dozens of social media posts falsely declaring that more than 100 New Hampshire House GOP candidates have been endorsed by the Free State Project in the upcoming election. Fuentes also used FSP imagery in his bogus posts.

One of those Republicans is House Election Law Committee Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, who is now asking state prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against the progressive activist. Berry’s complaint seeks Class A misdemeanor prosecutions, which carry a possible sentence of up to a year in jail.

“This was not a mistake,” Berry said of Fuentes posts. “It was a lie, built 78 times and aimed at voters weeks before an election.”

According to Berry’s complaint, Fuentes posted 78 graphics on Oct. 10 naming 136 candidates across 76 communities: 135 Republican candidates on the November ballot and one write-in candidate.

The graphics reproduced in the complaint pair the Free State Project’s name and porcupine logo with the word “ENDORSED” above lists of candidates. The organization says it endorsed none of them.

The Free State Project, a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, is prohibited from endorsing or opposing candidates for elected office. It has publicly repudiated the graphics and asked those responsible to remove them and post corrections.

“They should not fabricate endorsements or use our logo to mislead voters,” FSP Executive Director Eric Brakey said.

False claims about political candidates, including outright lies, are hardly uncommon during campaign season. What puts Fuentes in potential legal peril is that New Hampshire has a statute that specifically criminalizes false endorsement claims.

RSA 666:6 makes false representations using another’s name to signify political endorsements or influence votes a misdemeanor. Berry argues that Fuentes’ use of the organization’s name and logo falls within that prohibition.

Fuentes apparently agrees. Soon after receiving Berry’s complaint, he changed the fake endorsement posts from “endorsed” to “aligned.”

Fuentes is not some fringe Democrat. Beyond his past work for the state Democratic Party and prominent candidates, the party’s December 2025 roster lists him as Grafton County Democratic Committee vice chair.

As political director for the far-left Rights and Democracy NH organization, Fuentes moderated a legislative review event in June featuring prominent Granite State Democrats like Sen. Debra Altschiller and Rep. Matt Wilhelm.

According to FEC filings, Fuentes has also received $5,000 in consulting payments from Maggie Goodlander’s campaign and $2,419.35 from Ro Khanna’s campaign during 2026.

Berry cites a previous prosecution under the same election statute. In April 2023, Michael Drouin pleaded guilty after creating a Craigslist advertisement impersonating Republican candidate William Boyd during a 2021 special election. Drouin received a 90-day jail sentence that was fully suspended, a fine, community service, and the loss of his voting rights.

Berry’s complaint asks prosecutors to treat each graphic as a separate offense and require their removal and a public correction. Whether to investigate or bring charges is a decision for the state Attorney General’s Office.

“I chair the committee that writes New Hampshire’s election laws. They mean nothing if they are not enforced,” Berry said.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.