New Hampshire Lawmaker and Casino Owner Faces Criminal Investigation

Article by : Erik Gibbs Sep 4, 2023

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A Republican legislator in New Hampshire, Representative Laurie Sanborn, has officially given up her position as one of the heads of a gambling committee in the state. The former lawmaker stepped down from her legal responsibilities as she is not only the owner of a casino but was also found to be involved in a criminal investigation with her husband.

Sanborn, hailing from Bedford, had been serving as the chairperson of a commission. The special committee was tasked with conducting an extensive assessment of the state’s charitable gaming industry, which commenced just last month.

House Speaker Sherm Packard acknowledged Mrs Sanborn’s decision to resign from this role as “an appropriate measure.” She stated it was done to prevent any distractions or inconsistencies in the processes the committee was to conduct.

Laurie Sanborn and her husband, former state Senator Andy Sanborn, are proprietors of a bar and casino located in Concord. They recently approved constructing a significantly larger establishment just a few miles away.

However, the attorney general’s office announced Thursday that it had initiated a criminal investigation. The process was conducted due to evidence suggesting that Andy Sanborn had fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds.

The investigation claimed that Sandborn may have utilized the funds from the COVID-19 government program to acquire luxury automobiles for himself and his spouse. This investigation will scrutinize the actions of all individuals and entities involved.

Simultaneously, the state lottery commission moved to revoke Andy Sanborn’s license to operate casinos permanently. As of Friday, the Sanborns had yet to respond to an email soliciting their comments.

Andy Sanborn did express his vehement disagreement with the commission’s findings. He welcomed the opportunity to contest them during a hearing. Mr. Sanborn asserted that he had sought federal relief to address challenges caused by the pandemic and its effects on the family’s businesses.

According to the investigation, Sanborn allegedly obtained $844,000 in funding from the Small Business Administration through fraud. He is accused of allocating $181,000 towards acquiring two Porsche race cars and $80,000 for a Ferrari for his spouse.

Additionally, Sanborn disbursed over $183,000 to himself. He did so while labelling the amount as rent for his properties in Concord. This was all reported by the attorney general.
Andy Sanborn held office for four terms in the state Senate before making an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2018.