VOTF NH Open letter to Governor Craig Benson

New Hampshire Voice of the Faithful
P.O. Box 423
Concord, NH 03302-0423

February 10, 2003

Governor Craig Benson
Office of the Governor
25 Capitol Street
Concord, New Hampshire 03301

Dear Governor Benson:

Re: Mr. David Vicinanzo as New Hampshire Attorney General

As you begin a very busy week, delivering a budget to the legislature as well as securing appointments necessary to move your administration forward, we ask that you take time to listen to our concerns about a matter that is vital to us as Catholic constituents.

We at New Hampshire Voice of the Faithful, an organization of mainstream Catholics formed in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal, are alarmed at the possible nomination of David Vicinanzo for New Hampshire attorney general. Our apprehension is based on Mr. Vicinanzo's role as an attorney for the Diocese of Manchester, especially in matters related to the clergy sexual abuse of minors. His recent advocacy for the Church presents a serious perceived conflict of interest that threatens to undermine the trust of many New Hampshire Catholics in the State's commitment to impartial justice.

Case in point: only two months ago, the State of New Hampshire signed a historic agreement with the Catholic Church. Under its terms, the attorney general will be charged for the next five years with auditing the Church's compliance with state laws for reporting allegations of sexual abuse and interviewing Diocesan Personnel about their practices. If Mr. Vicinanzo becomes New Hampshire's attorney general, this would put him in the conflicted position of having responsibility to protect the public interest by monitoring a former client, the Diocese of Manchester.

The public interest includes protecting victims of clergy sexual abuse, who are deeply distrustful of such associations. The attorney general has the responsibility to propose amendments to the agreement, decide if there is any breach to bring to the attention of the courts, or seek injunctive relief. It is imperative that New Hampshire's survivors, their families, friends, supporters and all Catholics be able to place their utmost confidence in an attorney general who can make unencumbered, independent decisions. It is essential to the integrity of the oversight process that the person undertaking this task be an individual who has not previously, and so recently, served as a professional advocate for the Diocese of Manchester.

Given that the Diocese avoided criminal prosecution for child endangerment by signing the agreement, and is to be held accountable by the attorney general, we are greatly troubled by this prospective nomination. New Hampshire Catholics must be reassured that the system of accountability, oversight, transparency, and training the agreement envisions will be safeguarded. Mr. Vicinanzo's personal character is not the issue; trust in the standards for the appointment is. In a matter as sensitive as the sexual molestation of our children, it cannot be otherwise. We urge you to review the agreement between the State and the Diocese prior to making your final decision, and to revise the criteria for this appointment.

In a few weeks on March 3, the attorney general's office will release 9,000 documents revealing the depth of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in New Hampshire. There is little reason to believe the state line inoculated New Hampshire's Catholics against the cover-up and scandal prevalent elsewhere. It is all the more necessary then that there be no real or perceived conflict of interest that will be damaging in the future to the integrity of both the oversight process and New Hampshire's office of the attorney general. In consideration of our concerns, we ask respectfully that you reject Mr. Vicinanzo as a nominee for the office of attorney general.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Blanchard, Steering Committee Chairman
New Hampshire Voice of the Faithful