AG delayed disclosure of N.H. rep’s residence

House Democrat leader ‘deeply concerned’

In the wake of Representative Troy Merner’s abrupt resignation, House Democratic leader Representative Matthew B. Wilhelm is asking what took so long and wondering whether lawmakers should draft legislation to prevent a situation like this from happening again.

Wilhelm told the attorney general’s office in a letter Wednesday he is “deeply concerned” investigators waited more than four months to notify House leadership that Merner had admitted he no longer lived in the district he was representing.

“For nearly twenty weeks, the House was deprived of its opportunity to fairly judge Rep. Merner’s qualifications, and he continued to illegally vote on over 100 pieces of legislation,” Wilhelm wrote.

His letter alluded to the possibility of legislation on this topic, with an invitation for the attorney general’s office to provide guidance. “We are exploring all avenues of accountability to ensure the integrity of our legislature,” he told the Globe.

Investigators concluded that Merner, a Republican from Lancaster, had moved out of his legislative district more than two months before he won reelection in November 2022. They said he kept representing the district and serving on the Lancaster Board of Selectmen even though he had moved to live with his wife in Carroll. He’s suspected of voting illegally in Lancaster and claiming mileage reimbursement based on the wrong address.

The attorney general’s office shared its findings with House Speaker Sherman Packard in a letter on Sept. 18, and news of Merner’s resignation broke the following day.

But the investigation had begun six months earlier. A poll worker in Lancaster questioned the home addresses Merner had provided during two elections, so she alerted authorities in March. Within two days, an investigator observed that Merner appeared to be listing his Lancaster office as his home, and Merner admitted on May 4 that he was “not really staying” at the address, according to the attorney general’s letter.

A spokesperson for Packard’s office told the Globe the Sept. 18 letter was the first time the office learned Merner had admitted to investigators he didn’t live in the district. “We acted immediately on obtaining his resignation,” the spokesperson said.

Michael S. Garrity, a spokesperson for the attorney general, said the delayed notification reflects standard operating procedures.

“We do not discuss investigations until we have reached a conclusion,” Garrity said, “especially in a case like this where we are also investigating potential crimes associated with the domicile.”

Merner has not responded to the Globe’s requests for comment.