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0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8f680000Coverage of the 2016 races in New Hampshire, from the White House to the State House.

Sununu: Questions Around Investor's Alleged Terror Ties 'Border On Racism'

GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Sununu says it's wrong to ask questions about a major investor in the Waterville Valley Ski resort that was once investigated for terror ties.

Politico, WMUR and The New Hampshire Union Leader have all noted that the Virginia-based SAFA trust owns a minority stake in Waterville, about 14.1 percent according the Union Leader. In 2002 the trust and other entities associated with Yacub Mirza, a prolific investor and political donor, were raided by the FBI.

No one with ties to SAFA was ever charged, and according to Sununu, to questioning Yacub Mirza, who sits on numerous corporate and academic boards ,amounts to bigotry.

"When this - these type of false allegations -  I'm mean they are slanderous, frankly bordering on racism, to be blunt about it. But when this type of nonsense comes out, you know it really affects? It can affect my employees,right. It can affect those that really consider Waterville a true home.

Sununu has long promoted the idea that Waterville investors are local. Sununu acknowledged that Safa is not a local entity but he says Mirza is a friend of the family and that the Sununus have the controlling stake in Waterville.

Josh has worked at NHPR since 2000.
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