Transgender Politician Found to be Felon

Republicans in New Hampshire’s state legislature have called for the first elected transgender official in the state – and the nation – to step down in light of a newspaper article that revealed her criminal past.

Stacie Marie Laughton, a Democrat, made history this month when she was elected to a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Hillsborough County, which includes Nashua. But a story in the Laconia Daily Sun revealed that Laughton was a convicted felon who served more than four months in jail for ”conspiracy to commit credit card fraud” in 2008.

Candidates can run for office in New Hampshire after they’ve been convicted of a felony as long as they are not incarcerated and have completed any court-ordered sentence, according to the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office.

Granite State House Majority Leader Pete Silva, R-Nashua, said Laughton’s failure to inform Nashua voters about her background before the election was grounds for her resignation, according to the Nashua Patch.

“While I believe in a person’s ability to be rehabilitated and become a productive member of the community, I also believe it is a candidate’s duty to fully disclose their personal history to allow the voters an opportunity to make an informed decision,” Silva wrote in a statement published by Nashua Patch. “Ms. Laughton failed to give the voters of her district that very basic amount of trust and respect.” See Chick's BUSTED.