CONCORD, NH — Deputy Majority Leader Joe Sweeney (R-Salem), Rep. Ross Berry (R-Weare), and Rep. Joe Alexander (R-Goffstown) today called for the removal of Rep. Ellen Read (D-Newmarket) from the New Hampshire House of Representatives following her repeated attempts to place herself above the law.
Court records show Read was stopped on December 2, 2024, driving 107 mph on I-93 in Windham, and again on June 5, 2025, driving 92 mph on I-93 in Londonderry. Read has repeatedly asserted “legislative privilege” to demand the charges be dismissed because of the office she holds, pressing her case all the way to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. She was found guilty of negligent driving in the first case and has a deferred sentence hearing in August.
“No state representative is above the law. Period,” said Rep. Sweeney. “Ellen Read drove 107 miles per hour on a public highway, endangered every family on that road, and then told the police they had no authority to stop her because she is a legislator. That is not a defense. That is an abuse of office. She should resign, and if she refuses, the House should remove her.”
“The Constitution protects lawmakers from political arrest. It is not a license to drive 107 miles per hour,” said Rep. Berry. “Read has spent taxpayer-funded court time arguing that the rules her constituents follow do not apply to her. Every day she keeps her seat, she makes that argument for the entire House.”
“This is simple. If any of our constituents drove 107 miles per hour, they would face the consequences,” said Rep. Alexander. “Rep. Read demanded a special set of rules for herself. She has forfeited the public’s trust and the privilege of serving in this body.”
The three representatives called on House Democratic leadership to join them. “Minority Leader Simpson knows this conduct is indefensible,” Sweeney added. “This should not be a partisan question. It is a question of whether membership in this House means accountability or immunity. We know our answer.”