Political Prankster Arrested by NH AG

Carl Gibson, a self-proclaimed investigative journalist and Democratic political activist, was arrested Thursday by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and charged with voter suppression and distributing a false document. He turned himself into the AG after investigators issued a warrant for his arrest.

According to news reports, earlier this month, Gibson emailed media outlets that were covering the special election state rep race in Candia, Deerfield, Northwood, and Nottingham an alert stating that the Republican candidate, Yvonne Dean-Bailey, was dropping out of the race. The email, which was sent on May 14, 2015, looked professional and stated that the candidate, who is 19, and a college student, was postponing her campaign to focus on finishing school.

Gibson, a former volunteer for former state Rep. Maureen Mann, Dean-Bailey’s opponent, owned up to the fraud the next day, blaming “one too many beers” at 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon.

Election complaints were later filed and the NH AG Office’s took action yesterday.

“Mr. Gibson has been charged with voter suppression for knowingly attempting to induce voters to refrain from voting in this past Tuesday’s special election for state representative in Rockingham District 32,” according to a statement by Stephen LaBonte, the assistant attorney general.

Voter suppression is a Class B felony, according to LaBonte. He is scheduled to be arraigned on June 22, at the 6th Circuit Court in Concord, at 8:15 a.m.

In the end, the prank didn’t work – Dean-Bailey easily beat Mann.