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>> THE FIRST ITEM UP FOR BID AT THIS YEAR’S WINNIPESAUKEE REPUBLICANS’ FOURTH OF JULY BREAKFAST, A COPY OF GOVERNOR SUNUNU’S VETO OF THE FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE BILL IT WAS ALL PART OF A FUNDRAISER FOR THE GROUP. ALSO UP FOR GRABS AN AMERICAN FLAG AND A NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE FLAG THAT FLEW OVER THE STATE HOUSE THE DAY THE GOVERNOR SHOT DOWN THAT BILL THE VIDEO WAS TAKEN DURING THE EVENT BY THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AND AFTER THE PARTY POSTED IT TO YOUTUBE, SOME POLITICIANS REACTED. THE FLAGS WERE PURCHASED BY STATE REP. GLENN CORDELLI AT THE VISITORS CENTER, WHERE ANYONE CAN PURCHASE A FLAG THAT FLEW AT THE STATE HOUSE, IT’S SOMETHING LAWMAKERS HAVE DONE MANY TIMES IN THE PAS IT WAS A GOOD-NATURED EXERCISE. NOTHING MEANT TO BE POLITICAL OR RELATED TO SELLING TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. THAT NEVER ENTERED OUR MINDS. >> THE GOVERNOR WRITES, IF I AUCTIONED OFF EVERY THAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE DEMOCRATS, I COULD TRIPLE THE STATE’S RAINY DAY FUND. FOR MORE ON THIS STORY YOU CAN CHECK OUT OUR WEB

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An auction at a July 4 fundraiser hosted by the Winnipesaukee Republican Committee featured Gov. Chris Sununu as the auctioneer -- and some unusual items up for bid.With enthusiasm and to cheers and laughs of the party activists gathered for the event, Sununu auctioned off a copy of his veto of Senate Bill 1 -- the Democrats’ paid family and medical leave bill – as well as the New Hampshire and American flags that flew over the State House on the day of the veto, May 9.The auction was recorded on a video taken by a New Hampshire Democratic Party tracker, party spokesperson Holly Shulman said.The NHDP then uploaded the video to YouTube. It can be viewed here.“I wish I could say I was surprised, but we've known for a long time that Sununu has been offering up his vetoes to the highest bidder,” Shulman said.“Whether it's Sununu's budget veto that benefits his corporate special interest donors at the expense of taxpayers and New Hampshire schools, his net metering veto sponsored by his corporate donors, or his veto of paid family leave, Sununu is working only for the highest bidder at the expense of everyone else.”New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, D-Penacook, a military veteran, did not find the auction humorous."For anybody, whether it be the governor or anybody of any political party, to politicize it by auctioning off those flags simply to make a point on a particular bill or to raise money for any political event, I think is just inappropriate," Shurtleff said.“As a veteran, the flags -- both of our state and our country -- mean a great deal to me and I think it's kind of sad to auction off the American flag or the New Hampshire flag to raise money for any political party."But according to state Rep. Glenn Cordelli, R-Tuftonboro, secretary of the Winnipesaukee GOP, it was just a lighthearted way to raise some money for the local committee.“This was all done in the spirit of fun and everyone at the breakfast, including the governor, got a kick out of it,” Cordelli said. “I’m surprised that anyone is trying to make this into something political,” Cordelli said. “It was just a fun, good-natured event.”Sununu added, “If I auctioned off every bad piece of legislation passed by the Democrats, I could triple the state’s rainy day fund. And I’m also available for Bingo nights.”Matthew Plache, chair of the Winnipesaukee GOP, said the committee has been auctioning flags at the July 4 breakfast “every year for decades.”“What’s the big deal?” Plache said. “It’s really just a donation to help our candidates in the next election. If Speaker Shurtleff feels the need to attack the governor for this, we must be doing something right.”Plache called the Democrats’ criticism “dirty tactics” and a “smear campaign."Separately, a Republican source pointed out that last year, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan donated to a New Hampshire Public Broadcasting auction an American flag that was certified to have flown over the U.S. Capitol.The item appears to have sold for $42.Flags that fly over the State House on any given day are available for sale at the State House Visitors Center, and Cordelli said he purchased the New Hampshire and American flags for about $30 each. Terry Pfaff, chief operating officer for the state House and Senate, said, “Representatives buy them. People right off the street buy them. A lot of times they're bought for special occasions or a memorial for veterans. Some folks buy them and offer them up for fundraisers."“They're available, and once folks purchase them, they can do really what they want."Cordelli said the flags came with certificates, which were signed by the governor with the same words he used on his veto document – “VETO. No Income Tax. Not Now! Not Ever!” in red ink.A screenshot of his veto, posted on Twitter on May 9, received 151 retweets and 429 likes.Cordelli said he printed and framed a copy of the veto document, which is available as a PDF on the state website. Cordelli said that while Sununu knew he had purchased the flags, the governor did not know about the auction until the breakfast was underway.The video shows that Sununu was clearly enjoying the auction.“This was my veto of Senate Bill 1,” the governor says in the video. “You guys know what Senate Bill 1 was? It was the premium on wages, as the Democrats like to call it. It's also called an income tax and we vetoed that.”“This is a little odd. I’m auctioning off my own signature,” Sununu says.“I hear 275! $300 for the greatest veto of all time! $300 going once.”The copy of the veto sold for $400.“Is this legal?” Sununu asks. “I'm selling vetoes. I don't care. What do we have here? Oh, so now we have not just the veto itself, but this was the flag that was flown over the State House on the day that I vetoed!”The state flag sold for $450, while the American flag sold for $400.“This is a great American flag, flew over the state Capitol,” Sununu says. “It was a very sunny day and I know that because God came to my office and said, ‘Please veto the income tax, governor.’ God himself came down and said, ‘Don't be stupid.’ $400 going once. $400 twice. $400 sold!”Shurtleff said, “As a veteran, I've seen people injured under the flag. I've seen people buried under that flag. People have served under that flag. Our flags mean too much to us. The symbolism is very pure and shouldn't be sullied by a political event."(WMUR political director Adam Sexton also contributed to this report.)