Bradley, Stephen focuses on earmark

The First Congressional District Republican primary between John Stephen and Jeb Bradley has shifted towards a debate over a Congressional earmark.

Last night, Bradley told the Goffstown/Weare Republican Committee that Stephen sought an earmark for a project when Stephen was Secretary of Health and Human Services.

"I've worked with John at HHS and he came to us for an earmark, which we got for him," Bradley said.

The debate is centered on funding for the JOLT (Juvenile Offender Locator Team) program. The program was established to fund a software system to track criminal cases and allow for data to be transferred between programs.

Stephen's campaign denies that Stephen sought the earmark.

"Back in 2004, Stephen sent a letter to the entire New Hampshire Congressional delegation seeking support to maintain funding for the program through a block grant," explained Stephen's campaign manager Greg Moore.

Moore, a former spokesman for the Health and Human Services Department, added, "at the end of the day it was Bradley who recommended an earmark for the program, our goal was to seek a block grant for it."

When asked to respond, Bradley's campaign sent a copy of a 2005 press release announcing the funding.

In the release, Stephen said "I want to thank our Congressional delegation for their tremendous efforts to help protect citizens of New Hampshire."

This morning Stephen criticized earmarks in an editorial for The Union Leader.

"Earmarks are nothing more than taxpayer-subsidized campaigning. "Bringing home the bacon" is a treasured political pastime to boost re-election efforts," Stephen wrote.