New Hampshire GOP Senate Candidates Trade Gift Card Barbs

CONCORD, NH — Republicans battling for the U.S. Senate nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen are in a war of words over whether one candidate is attempting to purchase the GOP nomination — and maybe handing out Chipotle gift cards, too.

Not long after Corky Messner, the former general counsel for Chipotle, was able to line up the endorsement of President Donald Trump, opponent Don Bolduc, a former Army general, appeared on the NH Today with Jack Heath radio program and insinuated that Messner was attempting to buy the nomination. Bolduc said people in Washington, D.C., should not be dictating who Granite Staters choose as their nominee.

"People are tired of the politics of money and power," Bolduc said. "They're looking for character and integrity. They certainly don't want an outsider coming in here and dictating those terms — particularly someone whose campaign is based off of money and ... buying the support of ... state senators and state representatives up for election and buying the support of others by handing out gift cards and things like that. It's not how New Hampshire rolls."

The gift card comment caught Health off-guard.

"Handing out gift cards?," he asked.

"Yeah," Bolduc said, "handing out Chipotle gift cards to people."

"You're saying Corky Messner is handing out Chipotle gift cards?," Heath asked.

"Yeah, I'm saying my opponent is doing everything he can to use money and power and outsider influence to … get himself elected," Bolduc said. "Yes, he's doing it. Period."

The next day, Messner appeared on Heath's show and the host played audio of Bolduc's comments. The candidate then flatly denied the allegation.

"That's a lie, Jack, that's a lie," he said.

Messner said he received a call from Lynne Blankenbeker, a Navy nurse and Concord resident, who was stationed on the USNS Comfort during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, about issues the health care workers were having getting access to food outside of military meals.

"When they tried to get food in New York City, they were getting price gouged," he said.

So Messner made some calls and Chipotle arranged for them to get right-priced food delivered at the hotel.

Blankenbeker, a candidate again this year for the 2nd Congressional District seat Republican nomination, confirmed Messner's radio comment. She said health care workers wanted to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and have Mexican food but were shocked by the price gouging going on. So Blankenbeker called Messner to see if he could arrange food for the workers at a fair price and he did — Chipotle delivered food to the hotel at the regular price and waived the delivery fee, too, she said, so the workers could celebrate with festive food.

During the interview, Messner said Homeland Heroes also received donations of gift cards based on Messner asking them to help out.

Heath asked the candidate if he directly gave out gift cards for support and Messner said, "I gave nothing to anybody for support. Have I helped candidates in New Hampshire? Absolutely. I've helped out candidates who endorsed my opponent. This election, Jack, is really, really important … Republicans need to unify."

On Thursday, Josh McElveen, a senior advisor for the campaign, said two of Bolduc's students at New England College told the general they had received gift cards at an event from the Messner campaign and that is what he was speaking about during the interview.

"But it’s time to focus on the one thing Colorado Corky desperately wants to avoid — his qualifications to represent New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate," McElveen said. "This issue isn’t gift cards, bad burritos, or shady politics. That's the symptom. The issues lies in the notion, and apparent belief of the Messner campaign, that money can camouflage the fact this candidate has never stepped into a New Hampshire voting booth and is using his bank account as his platform."

Carmelle Druchniak, a spokesperson for Messner, said Bolduc's accusation was "totally false … there's no truth to it." She added while the campaign had hoped to have an event at New England College, they had to cancel it due to the pandemic. The campaign had Chipotle cater two college roundtables though at UNH and Keene State and those purchases were noted in FEC reports, she said.

"Did not give out cards," Druchniak said. "Period."

Bolduc, McElveen added, looks forward to debates and forums so the candidates can contrast their ideas and solutions to problems.

"The campaign has accepted every invitation to do this, and we urge Mr. Messner to put away his checkbook, put on his thinking cap, and start acting like a Granite State candidate instead of pretending to be one," he said.

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