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A New Hampshire man has lost his right to vote because of a fake Craigslist ad he placed before a special election in 2021. Authorities said that Michael Drouin, 30, created a false post advertising a free trailer that included the cell phone number of Bill Boyd, the Republican candidate in the April 2021 special election to replace New Hampshire House Speaker Dick Hinch, who died of COVID-19.
Boyd said he was forced to turn off his cell phone on the morning of the election after receiving 37 phone calls or text messages in just 45 minutes.
After a lengthy investigation, authorities identified Drouin as the person who likely made the post. While he initially denied creating the Craigslist ad, he then claimed it "was a joke." He told investigators that posting the advertisement on election day was a coincidence and "bad timing," adding that "he didn't mean for anything bad to happen."
Drouin was initially charged with one felony count of interference with election communications, but on Monday (April 24), he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of creating a false document. As part of the plea deal, Drouin was given a 90-day suspended jail sentence, a $250 fine, and ordered to serve 250 hours of community service.
While he was not convicted of a felony, Drouin will still lose his right to vote because, under New Hampshire law, election-related crimes are considered disenfranchising offenses.