BREAKING: Longtime Sununu Ally D.J. Bettencourt Charged With Domestic Violence Charges

CONCORD, NH – This morning, the Eagle-Tribune reported that D.J. Bettencourt, a Budget Committee member in Salem, deputy commissioner at the New Hampshire Insurance Department, former Republican State House Majority Leader, and longtime Governor Sununu ally was arrested and charged with domestic violence yesterday.

Bettencourt served as Sununu’s policy director from 2017 until 2021, and was approved as deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department following Sununu’s blessing last year.

This is not the first time in recent months that one of Sununu’s associates was accused of violent misconduct against women. Eric Spofford was credibly accused of sexual misconduct by multiple survivors employed at or in treatment at one of his recovery centers. Sununu said Spofford is “one of the first guys I’ll pick up the phone to” in July of last year, but claimed he hadn’t spoken to Spofford in years after the news broke.

In response to this news, NHDP spokesperson Monica Venzke has released the following statement:

“This despicable conduct by D.J. Bettencourt is appalling and disturbing, and Sununu has once again surrounded himself with allies who are violent against women. Sununu has been a longtime advocate for Bettencourt’s career, even in the face of many other scandals. The corner office should not be filled by someone who continues to closely link himself to violent offenders against women.”