N.H. Backs Bank Loan To ‘Eagle Times' Owner

John Gregg has an excellent piece in the Valley News on the state loan guarantee to the new owners of the Eagle-Times in Claremont.

Donahue, who has worked at the BFA since it was created 17 years ago, said this was the first guarantee involving a New Hampshire newspaper that he could recall, but that there are “no restrictions that would preclude us from doing it.”

Gov. John Lynch, who presided over the Executive Council meeting, said in an interview after an appearance at Dartmouth College on Friday evening that he had no problems with the loan guarantee.

“It's really more of a job development, economic development type of issue,” said Lynch who said he has not met Sample and was not involved in putting the deal together. “I think it was the right thing to do, and it came up through the appropriate channels.”

The Eagle Times ran a photograph and congratulatory letter from Lynch, welcoming the return of the newspaper, on the front page of its first post-bankruptcy edition on Oct. 12. (emphasis added)

So we have a newspaper running a picture of the Governor who pushed through their financing on the front page. Why would anyone have a problem with that?