Newmarket Democrat Rep. Threatens Concord City Councilor With Lawsuit Over Handicap Parking Social Media Post

By Damien Fisher, NH Journal

National political headlines are full of stories about U.S. Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). But New Hampshire continues to have its own outbreaks of ethically questionable behavior among its legislators.

For example, just before her State House performance that earned a part-time ban from the House Chamber, Rep. Ellen Read (D-Newmarket) threatened a Concord City Councilor with a lawsuit over a Facebook post about parking in a handicap space.

Now, her aggressive response to a local official’s criticism is raising new questions about whether Read is following state law — and adding to a growing list of controversies surrounding the embattled lawmaker.

The latest dispute began when Concord City Councilor Jennifer Kretovic posted a photo of Read’s car parked in a handicap space at a Concord CVS on Good Friday, April 3. The image, posted to Facebook, did not show a visible handicap placard.

“This is unacceptable,” Kretovic wrote. “These spaces exist for those who truly need them, not for convenience.”

Read quickly fired back.

In a voicemail left for Kretovic, Read insisted a valid placard was displayed and demanded the post be taken down.

“If you want to take down that post with apologies, I won’t have to post anything,” Read said. “Not very cool of you to falsely accuse me.”

Read followed up with an email to Kretovic’s official city account, escalating the dispute, demanding an apology, and threatening legal action.

“I insist that you remove, WITH EXPLICIT APOLOGIES, the false and libelous post immediately, or face legal action, in both your personal capacity and official capacity,” Read wrote.

Audio Playerhttps://nhjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/handicap_false_post.m4a00:0000:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.Listen to Rep. Read’s voicemail here.

But Read’s explanation may have created more questions than it answered.

While Read is not disabled, she said the placard belongs to her husband and that she was picking up medication for him at the time. However, state law is clear: Handicap placards may only be used when the person to whom the placard is issued is in the vehicle.

“Parking spaces that are designated for handicapped parking may only be occupied by a vehicle driven by, or a vehicle transporting, a person with a walking disability,” according to the New Hampshire DMV.

Complicating matters, Read’s email suggests she may use the placard more broadly.

“It is known to the House of Representatives that I have a valid placard. I am copying the Clerk of the House here to that effect,” Read wrote.

Contacted Monday, Read did not directly answer whether she uses the placard when driving without her husband.

“I drive him pretty much everywhere he needs to go, and this is a fact that is already known to the State House,” Read said. “It was libelous for the councilor to claim I had parked in a spot illegally, when she surely would have seen my front windshield. That shows her intent. Which is the same as yours.”

The voicemail itself raises additional questions about the circumstances surrounding the exchange. Background noise suggests Read was at a restaurant when she made the call, and voices of companions — including Concord City Councilor Stacey Brown and podcaster Gracie Gato — can be heard identifying themselves.

Gato later posted on social media about the gathering, describing “great conversation” over drinks alongside Brown, Read, Gato, political activist and Vermin Supreme cohort Rod Webber, and local man Dana Albrecht.

Kretovic declined to discuss specifics of the exchange, saying she has referred the matter to state authorities.

“The communication from Rep. Ellen Read is being taken very seriously, as I would with any communication that includes the prospect of legal action,” Kretovic said. “I have referred the matter to the appropriate state authorities and will not comment on the underlying details while that review is underway.”

She added, “Elected officials have a responsibility to model professionalism, accountability, and restraint. Public trust depends on it.”

Michael Garrity, spokesman for the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, declined to comment.

The parking dispute is the latest in a string of controversies involving Read, including recent restrictions placed on her access to the House chamber and anteroom during off-hours following reports of disruptive behavior.

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.