WHOOPS

Alleged Drug Dealer Behind Pence’s N.H. Trip Cancelation: Report

A then-employee of the drug rehab facility Mike Pence was set to visit was reportedly under investigation by the DEA.

Vice President Mike Pence’s trip to a New Hampshire rehab facility was abruptly canceled earlier this month, and a law-enforcement official told Politico that “among the problems was a federal law enforcement probe involving individuals” he would likely meet. If Pence made the visit, he would have likely encountered Jeff Hatch—a then-employee at Granite Recovery Centers who was under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration for allegedly moving over “$100,000 of fentanyl from Massachusetts to New Hampshire,” according to Politico. Hatch was caught with 1,500 grams of fentanyl in 2017, and agreed to cooperate with authorities to catch others involved in the drug scheme, the report says. He pleaded guilty to one count of “using a telephone to help commit a crime” last week and will face up to four years in prison.

The vice president’s office declined to comment. Hatch was fired from his chief business development officer position on Monday. “I am shocked and disappointed to learn today that Jeff Hatch has pled guilty to a drug offense,” Granite Recovery Centers CEO Eric Spofford said in a statement. “Granite Recovery Centers terminated Jeff’s employment today immediately upon learning about this matter.”