MANCHESTER, N.H. – Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig announced on Tuesday that additional information regarding last week’s allegations against Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) Vice Chair Dan O’Neil will be coming to the BMA next week and could be discussed at that point.
The announcement came in response to concerns from Alderman Joseph Kelly Levasseur (At-Large) regarding the incident. Levasseur asked if Haynes and Associates, the company claiming that O’Neil was a vice president with their company, should be investigated for stealing O’Neil’s identity.
In a letter to Manchester City Solicitor Emily Rice, O’Neil said he had done consulting work for the company but was never a vice president and the matter was baseless and politically motivated.
The issue came to light after the Manchester Republican Committee discovered that O’Neil was listed as a vice president on Haynes and Associates’ website, but he had not listed the company on his financial disclosure forms to the city clerk, which is a requirement for all members of the BMA.
Levasseur added that O’Neil’s information was taken without permission, it puts the city in a bad light and alluded to it being a bad precedent for any public official being associated with organizations without their permission or knowledge.
“If that was me and they appropriated my name, I’d be out of my mind right now,” said Levasseur.
Keith Hirschmann (Ward 12) echoed Levasseur’s sentiments.
O’Neil would not comment beyond referring back to the letter.
