Jonathan Stone, a former Claremont police officer, former three term Claremont city councilor and now current New Hampshire House representative is also a member of Liberty Alliance, a conservative, right wing organization whose goals are to dismantle democracy.
In 2006, an investigation was opened into then-officer Stone concerning alleged allegations of Stone making threatening verbal attacks against the (at the time) police chief, along with the chief’s family and fellow officers. This is according to employment records that were recently released per order of the NH Supreme Court. The records also revealed Stone constantly socializing with an underage female in addition to conversing about the bars they would frequent when she became legally of age. These personnel records were successfully kept private by Stone and his attorney for many years until last month when the state’s highest court ruled Stone’s records are not exempt from public disclosure.
Long story short, this past Monday, according to Stone’s attorney Peter DeCato, “Jon Stone’s personnel records go back 17-plus years. They are full of unproven ‘factual allegations.’ Whatever is disclosed should have a very large asterisk next to it.” DeCato went on to say, “The City of Claremont did not terminate Jon’s employment; rather, the City of Claremont found it to their advantage to enter into an agreement with Jon. As a result of that agreement, Jon resigned. The advantage to the City of Claremont is that they didn’t have to prove what is written in these records.” DeCato also noted that Stone had a negotiated agreement with the city of Claremont upon his resignation and statements made by other police officers concerning Stone’s behavior when he was on the force had never come to a decision by a judge. In exchange for his resignation and surrendering his police certification in NH, the department would purge his personnel file of the internal affairs reports. The department fulfilled its agreement, but retained copies of the reports separately in its internal affairs records.
The chairman of the NH Democratic Party, Ray Buckley, commented on Mon., “The disturbing report on State Representative Jon Stone’s dangerous and out-of-control behavior, which he tried to hide from the public for years, raises serious concerns about Stone’s position on the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee and leaves no doubt that Stone is unfit to serve the people of Claremont.”
Stone represents the towns of Acworth, wards 1,2,3 in Claremont, Croydon, Goshen, Langdon, Lempster, Springfield, Sunapee and Washington. He currently sits on the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. Of the eight bills he sponsored so far this year, half of them have to do with guns. Among the many bills Stone has voted on, the (small) following received his “nay” vote, for example:
HB470 – relative to fentanyl test strips and other drug checking equipment
HB369 – establishing a task force to provide energy relief on farms
HB1068 – relative to establishing a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools
HB1212 – relative to eligibility for free school meals
HB1322 – relative to the state’s hourly minimum wage
The (small) following bills received Stone’s “yes” vote:
HB1634 – relative to universal eligibility for the education freedom account program
HB512 – exempting firearms manufactured in NH from federal laws and regulations
HB1276 – relative to repealing the prohibition on the possession or sale of blackjacks, slung shots and metallic knuckles except by or to minors
HB1607 – relative to expanded safe haven protections
HB1291 – relative to accessory dwelling unit uses allowed by right
HB1372 – relative to prohibiting torture (PHEW!)
As an aside, some of these bills were voted on more than once, the ones listed above were his final vote. The above link will take you to the state’s website.
Rep. Stone is also a businessman in Claremont, “Black Ops Guns.” In 2016, when Donald Trump was campaigning in NH, Stone gave him an inscribed AR-15 assault rifle with the inscription “1-4-5” translating to Trump being Stone’s first choice to become the nation’s 45th president. And just last June, Stone was tapped to be Trump’s Sullivan County campaign chairman, heaping praise upon Stone during a (hate) rally in Claremont last Nov.
We’ll see where this goes. In the meantime, let’s all try to educate ourselves on the folks who want to represent us in either our local, state or federal government.