Court hearing in rep's battle to KO county commissioner appointment set for Dec. 1

From left, Strafford state rep Glenn Bailey, newly sworn-in District 1 Strafford County Commissioner Leslie Feliciano (Courtesy photos)

DOVER - A Strafford County state rep will be back in court on Dec. 1 seeking to nullify the recent election of a newly sworn-in member to the county's Board of Commissioners.
Strafford District 2 rep Glenn Bailey, R-Milton, filed his initial complaint on Oct. 23 in which he argued that an investigation into the residency of Leslie Feliciano, the new commissioner, should be completed by the state Department of Justice before she should be able to take office.
Bailey's first filing to hold off on the swearing in of Feliciano came in minutes before her taking office and was quickly rejected by the court due to the time element.
His second filing the next day asked the court to "reverse" the swearing in, but was denied by the court on a technicality.
In his original court filing he said that the election complaint questioning her domicile eligibility had been filed to the Department of Justice back on Oct. 4.
"Leslie Ann Feliciano allegedly claimed domicile in Farmington to file for an open position of a county commissioner in district 1 Strafford county," according to the complaint. "Swearing Feliciano in while an investigation is under way causes "irreparable harm ... and undermines legislative integrity and public trust."
Allegations by Republicans claim that Feliciano was a resident of the city of Dover at the time of her filing, which is outside of the District 1 Strafford County Commissioner seat, to which she was elected.
Bailey also argued in court paperwork that the Strafford County Delegation met on Oct. 14 where it was explicitly discussed that a Department of Justice investigation was under way, and the delegation voted to appoint her anyway.
Feliciano, who has declared herself a Republican, won the appointment in a delegation vote 18-8 over Republican Susan Rice.
It should be noted that Democrats, who have a solid majority in the Strafford Delegation, voted unanimously for Feliciano, while every Republican voted for Rice.

The Special Election was necessary following Commissioner Joe Pitre's resignation from the Strafford County Commissioners office in July.
Feliciano at the time of the initial court complaint told The Rochester Voice that she knows the private citizen who filed the initial complaint that prompted the DOJ investigation and believes that private citizen may have done it for "ulterior motives."
"I was sworn in as the Strafford County commissioner of District 1, where I grew up and raised my children," she said in late October. "I look forward to working with the people of my district where I live and have great pride. I am looking forward to listening to them and their voice while working hard with the delegation in a positive manner. I will lead with my heart and great passion for my constituents."
Strafford County Commissioners chair George Maglaras, R-Dover, has called the claims by Bailey unfounded.
"I believe the complaint is highly political and has no merit," he told The Rochester Voice shortly after the initial court complaint was filed.
The state Dept. of Justice Election Law unit has consistently had no comment on the matter.
Bailey's complaint is also against the Strafford Delegation, which voted Feliciano in.
He said on Friday he will be representing himself at the Dec. 1 hearing. Ir is not clear who is representing Feliciano, or if she is representing herself.