North Country Growers CEO’s Illegal Voting Conviction Overturned After Key Evidence Suppressed

The New Hampshire Supreme Court delivered a unanimous ruling on Thursday that overturned the illegal voting conviction of Richard Rosen, CEO of North Country Growers, exposing a serious miscarriage of justice rooted in suppressed evidence.

Rosen, 87, had been convicted in 2024 for allegedly voting twice in the 2016 general election—once in New Hampshire and once in Massachusetts. But the Supreme Court found that the trial judge, Lawrence MacLeod, wrongly barred the jury from hearing that Rosen’s Massachusetts groundskeeper, Billy Botelho, confessed to casting ballots in Rosen’s name multiple times over decades.

Associate Justice Patrick Donovan wrote in the decision that Botelho’s statements “either impliedly or expressly constitute confessions” to voting as Rosen in the 2016 election and beyond. Botelho admitted to investigators that he had voted in Rosen’s name “three, maybe four times,” with the earliest instance dating back to the 1970s and the latest as recent as 2020.

This critical evidence was suppressed during the trial, where prosecutors instead presented a narrative that Rosen had committed multiple illegal votes. The court noted this created “a substantial risk of unfair prejudice,” especially given the highly charged political climate around voter fraud claims nationwide.

The case also revealed troubling gaps in absentee ballot procedures. Rosen, who is legally blind, received assistance from a town clerk filling out his absentee ballot in Holderness, New Hampshire, while in Massachusetts, no photo ID was required to request absentee ballots—procedures that Botelho exploited by regularly voting in Rosen’s name.

Beyond the legal drama, Rosen’s business, North Country Growers, is reportedly on the brink of collapse, warning staff it may soon be unable to make payroll. The conviction and ensuing legal battle have clearly taken a toll.

This ruling is a stark reminder that allegations of voter fraud must be rigorously scrutinized and that withholding exculpatory evidence undermines both justice and public trust. In an era where election integrity is weaponized for political ends, the Rosen case exposes how easily the system can be manipulated—and how damaging false accusations can be.

The decision was joined by Associate Justices Mellisa Countway and Bryan Gould. Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald recused himself due to prior involvement as New Hampshire’s Attorney General. The appeal was heard while former Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi was abstaining from cases after her own misdemeanor conviction.

As the fight over voting rights and election legitimacy continues to roil the nation, this case underscores the urgent need for transparency, fairness, and accountability in prosecuting alleged election crimes. When courts suppress evidence and let prejudice dictate outcomes, democracy itself pays the price.