Sununu Pick for AG Vows to Focus on Opioids

Concord — Manchester attorney Gordon MacDonald pledged to bring his “full focus” to fighting the opioid crisis if confirmed as New Hampshire’s next attorney general and promised to recuse himself from any conflicts of interest related to his years of private practice.

“I have always held myself to the highest ethical standards of my profession,” MacDonald said on Tuesday during a public hearing.

The council will vote on MacDonald’s nomination on April 5.

MacDonald previously represented the opioid maker Purdue Pharma in a dispute with the state and challenged the attorney general’s ability to hire outside counsel for help. That case is now pending in the state Supreme Court, but MacDonald faced no questions about it from councilors.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu nominated MacDonald, a partner at Nixon Peabody with an expertise in civil litigation, to be the state’s top prosecutor. MacDonald was widely praised on Tuesday as a tireless lawyer who is committed to helping the community beyond his private practice. MacDonald has led fundraising efforts to provide legal services to vulnerable populations, represents domestic violence victims on a volunteer basis and is chairman of the New Hampshire Board of Bar Examiners, which oversees admission to the New Hampshire Bar.

“Gordon is very keenly aware of the struggles that other people face,” said Lynne Parker, executive director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance. “He sees the duty of the legal profession to ensure that our courtrooms allow and provide access to a level playing field to those who would otherwise not be well represented.”

Democrats and Republicans alike, from former state Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick to former Governor Steve Merrill, urged the five-member Executive Council to confirm MacDonald’s nomination. If appointed, he’ll replace outgoing Attorney General Joe Foster, the choice of Sununu’s Democratic predecessor, now-U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan.

Lawyers who have sat opposite MacDonald praised his work ethic. Several years ago, MacDonald represented hospitals in a tax dispute with the state that was eventually worked out through legislation.