Police investigating alleged assault of Turning Point PAC staffer at poll

LACONIA — Turning Point PAC booths were set up at polling locations across the state Tuesday, and at Ward 5, one of the organization’s representatives was allegedly hit in the face by a voter.

Chief Matt Canfield said just after 3 p.m. on Nov. 3, Laconia Police responded to Woodland Heights Elementary School, the Ward 5 polling center, for a report of an assault. He said a discussion became heated, and an “elderly male wound up assaulting a Turning Point member across the face.

“It wasn’t a brush,” Canfield said.

Canfield said the alleged assault seemed intentional.

While no charges have been filed, police identified the alleged assaulter, and will be interviewing him. Since police were not there when the incident occurred, police are speaking to the parties involved, as well as any witnesses.

“We are investigating, and we will go from there,” Canfield said.

He did not know if the victim would press charges.

Rep. Mike Bordes (R-Laconia) was campaigning at Ward 6, at Leavitt Parkhouse, when the alleged assault occurred. After finding out about it, he went to Ward 5, to meet “the young gentleman from Connecticut.” Bordes said the victim was there with his brother.

Rainer and Asher Vesey, both of Old Lyme, Connecticut, were working the Turning Point PAC booth throughout the day at Ward 5. Around 2 p.m. they declined to comment on the election, but gave their names for a photo opportunity.

Since Bordes — also the city's mayor — wasn’t there when the alleged assault happened, he doesn’t know the details. He heard an elderly man berated the Turning Point worker, and “slapped” him.

City Clerk Katie Gargano said on Tuesday afternoon she didn’t know anything about the incident, and deferred comments to Laconia Police.

Canfield said there weren’t any other issues at city polls he knew of, except a concern about where Turning Point was setting up at a polling place. He said it was a question about the legal requirements of how far they could be from a polling location, and “they didn’t do anything wrong.”

Bordes denounced violence in any case.

“We can agree to disagree, but physical assault on someone is unacceptable anywhere,” Bordes said.

Bordes later posted a video of the incident to Facebook, which shows a man yelling at Rainer. The alleged assailant was standing close to Rainer, saying he has no idea who he is, and “how dare you say I don’t know much.”

Vesey replied the voter didn’t present a single statistic, to which the man replied, “neither have you,” followed by swearing. The alleged assailant then backed up a few feet.

“You sit there and dare to look me in the face and say I don’t know anything?” the man yelled.

He then gave the staffer the middle finger, stepped forward, and backhand slapped him in the mouth before swearing at him and walking away. Bystanders told the man he should be arrested, and someone off camera said to “call the cops.”

Bordes said this election season has been nasty. In the past he was able to stand at the polls, holding signs with other candidates, or supporters, and they’d be able to enjoy the day, together regardless of party.

This year, he said, there was much more separation between Republicans and Democrats. He also claimed another candidate called him a vulgar name.

“The world is getting crazy out there,” Bordes said. “We need to do something to bring Americans together again. We can disagree politically, but we need to treat each other better.”

A request for a comment from Turning Point PAC was not immediately returned on Tuesday.