OATH KEEPERS

www.oathkeepers.org
5130 S. Fort Apache Rd. #215-160
Las Vegas, NV 89148

To: New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth, and Family

Re: Affidavit of Dana Bickford in Case of John Irish and Stephanie Taylor

We are the police leadership within Oath Keepers. On behalf of all of the active duty and retired police and
sheriff personnel within our organization, as well as our military and fire-fighter brothers and sisters, we
demand that you remove the offensive verbiage in the affidavit filed by your investigator, Dana Bickford,
which states, “the Division became aware and confirmed that Mr. Irish associated with a militia known as
‘the Oath Keepers …’”

By so listing the political associations of a parent as a reason to take a newborn baby from her mother's
arms, the affidavit politicizes child protective services. That politicization was unfortunately furthered by
the judge in this case who adopted Bickford’s entire affidavit as the Court's "findings of fact" setting forth
the reasons for issuing the order to take the baby.

As police officers, we have seen first-hand the heart rending abuse that children can suffer at the hands of
dysfunctional adults. It is to prevent such abuse that child protective services is given great latitude and
power. Politics has no place in this process precisely because of the immense power you wield. All that
should matter is the welfare of the children, not the politics of the parents. Such politicization not only
hurts the families and children involved, but also chills the speech of other parents who now will worry that
their political affiliations will be used as grounds for taking their children.

This poorly conducted investigation used unsubstantiated and unsupported information regarding our
organization. A journey to our website, and a reading of our bylaws, could have easily confirmed what we
are and are not. We are an association of current serving and retired police, military, and emergency
personnel. We are not a militia. Our goal is simply to educate all current service personnel on their
obligations under the law and in particular our Constitution.

As police officers, we have been called all manner of vile names by criminal suspects, but nothing
compares to the offensive assertion that to associate with us and our military counterparts is child
endangerment. We respectfully request that any reference to Oath Keepers be removed from your affidavit
by whatever mechanism New Hampshire law allows or requires.

Signed:

Captain Chauncey E. Normandin (retired) Sergeant David A. Freeman (retired)

Lowell, MA PD Las Vegas Metropolitan PD

Chief Celia S. Hyde (retired) Sheriff Richard I. Mack (retired)

Bolton, MA PD Graham County, Arizona

Sergeant John D. Shirley (current serving) Trooper Robert Monahan (current serving)
Houston, Texas Massachusetts State Police

Corporal Steven H. Armbruster (current serving) Sheriff Mark O. Gower (current serving)
Kutztown, Pennsylvania State University PD Iron County, Utah

Russell L. Appling, Correctional Officer (retired) Detective Eddie R. Gilbert (current serving)
State of California Cleveland Division of Police