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Should a criminal record impact committee appointments?

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Speaker Shawn Jasper has appointed Rep. Frank Sapareto as vice chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, although Sapareto has a past conviction for assault.

“Representative Sapareto has served honorably in the House and in the Senate. I know he is capable of serving with impartiality," said Jasper, reports NHPR. "He doesn’t have any bills in on this matter, and I think there is a long back story with what happened with him, and I have confidence that he will act appropriately as he always has when serving in the legislature.” 

Sapareto was convicted of misdemeanor simple assault in an incident involving a former girlfriend and her two adult children.

According to reports, Jasper appointed Sapareto as vice-chair in exchange for Sapareto endorsing Jasper in the race for Speaker of the House.

“I'm very disappointed in this decision by the Speaker," Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said in a statement. "Appointing someone with a criminal record to chair the Criminal Justice committee would be inappropriate in any circumstances, but to do it in exchange for an endorsement is reprehensible.” 

Others argue that Jasper’s appointment of Sapareto is hypocritical, since Jasper removed Rep. Max Abramson from the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee in 2015 due to Abramson’s felony conviction for firing a gun in the air at a party.

Do you have an opinion on Rep. Sapareto’s appointment?  Let us know in the comments.

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