Gov. Ayotte takes in maxed out donation from NH gunmaker after granting immunity

After Gov. Kelly Ayotte shielded a top New Hampshire firearms manufacturer from an avalanche of lawsuits, the company donated heavily to her campaign.

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s campaign accepted a $15,000 contribution from Newington-based firearms manufacturer Sig Sauer on June 18, according to the governor’s latest campaign finance filing. The sum marks a “maxed out” contribution that hits the state’s limit of what companies can donate.

The donation came just 22 days after Ayotte signed legislation that makes it nearly impossible to sue the company in New Hampshire over issues related to safety features in its firearms — preventing individuals injured by design defects that may have caused accidental misfiring from holding Sig Sauer financially responsible.

Ayotte has held firm to the company’s defense, telling The Keene Sentinel that she’s “proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.” She also noted that “Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire.”

The protective legislation, which was passed with overwhelming Republican support, was aimed specifically at protecting Sig Sauer. The company had faced a wave of suits over its P320 pistol, including at least 77 in New Hampshire alone.

The law protects Sig Sauer by narrowing the kinds of lawsuits that can be brought against gunmakers and federally-licensed firearms businesses in New Hampshire when claims are based on the “absence or presence” of certain safety features — including an external mechanical safety.

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Scores of gun owners — including police officers and federal law enforcement agents — have sued the company for injuries sustained by the pistol misfiring, alleging the P320 fires unexpectedly, often while holstered, and that the design and lack of an external safety as a standard feature makes the gun dangerous.

The Sig Sauer P320 is one of the most commonly issued police sidearms in the country: investigative reporting has found it has been used by officers at more than 1,000 law-enforcement agencies, and some big departments have issued it to hundreds or even more than a thousand officers at a time.

Supporters of the New Hampshire measure argued the change was needed to protect a major state employer and deter what they describe as out-of-state litigation. The law took effect when Ayotte signed it on May 23.

Critics, however, warned the bill would make it harder for New Hampshire residents—especially members of law enforcement—to seek financial compensation if they are injured by a firearm they allege is defective. 

“Nobody asked for this corporate carveout except the VP of Sig Sauer himself — a lawmaker in South Carolina. It shields one company from accountability for fatal design flaws which put our citizens or servicemembers at risk. Granite Staters want us focused on affordability,” Said Democratic State Senate Leader, Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, a critic of the bill shielding Sig Sauer. “Kelly Ayotte is busy rigging the game for out-of-state corporations. Our More Money in Your Pocket agenda lowers costs for housing, electricity bills, healthcare, and childcare — the problems voters actually asked us to solve”

Across the country, a growing number of law-enforcement organizations have moved against Sig Sauer over the P320 through both lawsuits and by pulling the gun from duty use. A Washington Post investigation found at least 33 officers at 18 law-enforcement agencies had been injured in P320 discharge incidents, and reported that at least six agencies removed the P320 from service over safety concerns.

The Trace reported that more than 20 agencies surveyed had taken steps to prohibit the P320 because of fears about unintentional discharges, including departments in Oklahoma City, Denver, and Chicago. Some agencies then resold the pistols after deciding they weren’t safe for officers to use.

Additional departments have pulled the P320, including Milwaukee Police, Dallas Police, and SEPTA transit police in Philadelphia, as concerns and litigation have continued to spread through police circles.

In October, New Jersey sued Sig Sauer seeking to halt sales of the P320 in the state and pushing for a mandatory recall, alleging the company knows the handgun can discharge without the trigger being pulled.

New Jersey’s complaint cites multiple injuries involving department-issued P320s, including the April 2023 death of Detective Lt. Walter Imbert of the Orange Police Department, an Army veteran and department range master. The lawsuit alleges Imbert was preparing to clean his P320 when it fired and that his finger “was not touching the trigger.”

A Georgia jury found Sig Sauer liable in a P320 shooting case in 2024 and awarded damages, as the company faced “several dozen” lawsuits involving the model. 

Sig Sauer has repeatedly denied the central allegation that the P320 can fire “uncommanded,” arguing incidents stem from user error or other factors rather than a defect.

Sig Sauer reportedly took in $677.8 million in revenue in 2023.