Election disinformation has been deployed in New Hampshire this week against Republican Senate candidate Gen. Don Bolduc in his race against Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Breitbart News has learned.
A shady entity named the “Center of Voter Information” has sent direct mail pieces with false information about Gen. Bolduc’s policy positions to Granite State voters in Winchester, the southwest corner of the state (zip code 03470). It is unknown how broad the election disinformation scheme has become.
The name of the outfit, Center of Voter Information, is so innocuous as to provide the impression that the center is a non-partisan entity devoted simply to informing New Hampshire voters. But the Center of Voter Information, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is not benign.
The center is run by Tom Lopach, the President and CEO of the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information. Lopach’s professional experience includes former chief of staff of former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). From 2007 to 2008, he was also the National Finance Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is in charge of raising money to defeat Senate Republicans.
Lopach has sent direct mail pieces with false election information to New Hampshire voters, according to a direct mail pieces obtained by Breitbart News. With three check-marked boxes, the flyer claims Bolduc supports “defunding American cybersecurity,” supports “keeping hearing aids expensive,” and opposes “replacing led pipes.” Lopach’s signature appears at the bottom of the flyer.
Above Lopach’s signature, a disclaimer admits Bolduc’s policy positions have been misconstrued by noting a “candidates position is sometimes more complicated than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer… If you want additional, detailed information on these issues,” the flyer reads, “you can visit the candidates’ websites.”
Nowhere on Bolduc’s website does he say he supports “defunding American cybersecurity,” supports “keeping hearing aids expensive,” and opposes “replacing lead pipes.”
Doug Sears, a former U.S. diplomat, urban school superintendent, and current resident of Winchester, received Lopach’s direct mail piece. Sears told Breitbart News the flyer was tried to appear as non-partisan but ultimately is a “false flag operation run by a long-time Democratic operative.”
“The flyer that we received from the innocuously named ‘Center for Voter Information’ purports to provide important information to voters and includes the claim ‘we have done our best to represent each candidate in a fair and reasonable way,'” Sears said in a written statement. “But it is a false flag operation run by a long-time Democratic operative. And deliberately misinforms.”
“General Bolduc is portrayed, for example, as not supporting cybersecurity improvements that would protect the energy grid and water systems. Even at glance that’s not a plausible argument,” Sears explained. “The guy has five Bronze Stars for valor.”
“Someone is spending big to disinform. We hear often about ‘our democracy’ from the cultural elites,” Sears added. “Stuff like this tears at the fabric of our constitutional republic.”
The false election information comes as Gen. Bolduc increased his lead over Hassan by nearly two points on Thursday despite being outspent by $9 million, third-quarter fundraising totals show. Gen. Bolduc has clawed his way from 11 points down and now leads by two, a 13 point swing in six weeks.
The Granite State Senate race is one of seven battleground states that will determine which party controls the Senate. To retake the high chamber, Republicans need to hold Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and retake either Arizona, Nevada, Washington State, New Hampshire, or Georgia to have a one-seat majority in the Senate.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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