Kelly Ayotte forced to apologize, pull misleading ad after attempt to exploit 2015 murder

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte’s campaign was forced to retract a controversial attack ad Friday after it was revealed the ad inaccurately linked the tragic 2015 murder of Manchester resident Denise Robert to then-Mayor Joyce Craig.

The ad, which falsely stated the crime occurred during Craig’s tenure (she became mayor two years later), sparked immediate outrage among the victim’s family and local leaders, leading to a rare public apology from Ayotte.

The ad’s release on the ninth anniversary of Denise Robert’s death has left a lasting impact on her family. Joe Robert, the brother of Denise Robert, had earlier condemned the ad, calling it a “lie” and an inappropriate use of his sister’s memory.

“Kelly is lying by implying that my sister’s murder happened in 2021. Her tragic murder occurred nine years ago in 2015. To imply that Joyce Craig is responsible or that this happened under her watch is wrong,” Joe Robert stated. “I’m calling on Kelly Ayotte to take this ad down and to never use my sister’s memory to attack someone again. We continue to encourage anyone with information on this crime to come forward to the Manchester Police Department.”

Joyce Craig criticized the ad as a “dishonest and shameless attack” and expressed her disappointment in Ayotte’s campaign tactics.

“The loss of Denise Robert was a tragedy, and what is worse is that today is actually the ninth anniversary of this horrendous crime. I hope Denise’s family knows that my thoughts are with them today. It’s clear Kelly is willing to say whatever she can to get elected, even lie about a murder,” Craig said.

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Adding to the controversy is the context of crime statistics in Manchester and across New Hampshire during the period Ayotte referenced. From 2017 to 2023, violent crime in Manchester decreased by 70%, with significant drops in both robberies (73%) and sex offenses (36%). Similar trends were observed statewide, with New Hampshire experiencing a 64% reduction in violent crime and a 72% decrease in robberies during the same period.

These statistics paint a stark contrast to the misleading narrative pushed by Ayotte’s campaign, further highlighting the inaccuracy of the attack, with crime demonstrably higher when the city was under the Republican leadership of then-mayor Ted Gatsas.

In response to the backlash, Ayotte was forced to release a statement acknowledging the error and to instruct television stations to cease airing the ad.

“My campaign has instructed all stations to stop airing our latest ad about Joyce Craig’s record as Mayor due to the inaccurate news clip in the ad. I sincerely apologize to the Robert family for this mistake,” Ayotte said.

Both Joe Robert and Mayor Craig continue to urge anyone with information about Denise Robert’s murder to come forward to the Manchester Police Department to help bring closure to the ongoing investigation of the August 30, 2015 crime.

Ryan Mahoney, executive director of AmplifyNH, a statewide public policy advocacy organization and communication hub that has been among those groups leading accountability work on the governor’s race this cycle said the motives behind the dishonest ad could be linked to other aspects of Ayotte’s campaign, such as her unwillingess to disassociate from troubled State Rep. Jon Stone.

“This is a disgusting example of Kelly Ayotte’s desperate, slapdash attempts to distract Granite Staters from her extreme positions opposing reproductive rights. It’s rich coming from Kelly Ayotte whose top campaign supporters include a known child predator who threatened child rape and mass shootings. Ayotte’s latest fear-mongering campaign is already getting picked apart by fact checkers and forcing her to apologize to the victims of families she has offended with her partisan games.”