New Hampshire lawmaker relinquishes leadership posts over anti-vaccine stance

(The Center Square) – Republican state Rep. Ken Weyler has stepped down as chairman of New Hampshire’s House Finance and Joint Legislative Fiscal committees following a firestorm over his spreading of misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Weyler said he decided to relinquish his chairmanships over “the recent controversy surrounding an email that I sent and the side circus this has created.”

“I wish to remove myself as chairman so as not to further distract from the issue at hand,” he wrote. “I will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of the constituents I serve.”

House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, also issued a statement saying that he met with Weyler and the two came to a “mutual decision” for him to step down.

“He realizes his error in judgment and recognizes it has compromised his ability to lead the House Finance Committee and Joint Fiscal Committee, both now and moving forward,” he wrote. “Rep. Weyler has a long history of service to this state and is an invaluable resource. He will continue to serve the people of his district honorably.”

Last month, Weyler led other Republican members of the fiscal committee in tabling a vote to accept $27 million in federal relief funds for vaccine programs. The funding is meant to help the state expand COVID-19 vaccinations.

Weyler questioned state data showing that 90% of people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, among other reasons for not accepting the money.

He later emailed panel members a “report” filled with misinformation and debunked theories about the virus, including claims that COVID-19 death counts are inflated and “octopus-like creatures” were injected into people’s bodies through the vaccines.

That prompted a chorus of calls, including one from Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, for the veteran Kingston lawmaker to be stripped of his leadership posts.

In his statement, Weyler said he only meant to share the first several pages of the 52-page document and “did not read the rest, which contained conspiracy material and sections that are offensive to groups of people.”

“Hopefully my resignation will focus the conversation less on me and more on a critical issue facing our state,” he wrote, reiterating concerns he previously raised about the terms of the vaccine contracts with the federal government. “It is my sincere hope that this will now become the story and the people of New Hampshire will get the answers that they deserve.”

Democrats praised Weyler’s departure as chairman of the two powerful committees, which have control over the state budget and other major spending measures.

House Democratic Leader Rep. Renny Cushing, D-Hampton, said Weyler’s resignation as chairman of the committees was “long overdue.”

Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, said Weyler’s “harmful actions” have “embarrassed New Hampshire on the national stage.”

“His efforts to spread dangerous conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 vaccines has done nothing but sow distrust in our medical professionals and caused further delays in the state’s vaccination efforts,” she said in a statement.

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