Bryant "Corky" Messner, corporate attorney and former U.S. Army soldier; Eliminated in primary. Messner moved to New Hampshire after making his fortune by building up a corporate law firm in Colorado. Acceptance into the Association is limited to Rangers who have earned the U.S. Army Ranger tab, WWII Rangers, Korean War Rangers, Vietnam War Rangers, all Rangers who participated in Operations Urgent Fury, Just Cause, Desert Storm, Restore Hope, Enduring Freedom, and all Rangers who have served honorably for at least one year in a recognized Ranger unit. "I do not believe there's systemic racism in the United States," answered Messner. He passed a punishing course. Criminal investigation sought into NH candidate’s foundation. He was one of the first Special Forces officers in Afghanistan but not part of the 12-man team that rode horses to victory. I’m Ranger-qualified, and I always stipulate that. Republican Corky Messner files ‘NH Advantage PAC’ to help conservative state candidates. . Our query was passed up the line until we received this statement from a U.S. Army Special Operations Command spokesperson: Translated, that means Messner cannot say he is an Army Ranger, only that he is “Ranger qualified.”. Probably. If a soldier makes it through the course, he or she earns the right to wear a uniform “tab” — a small cloth arch — that reads “Ranger.”. Partner. Bryant “Corky” Messner. Corky Messner for New Hampshire. Pinterest. That is, until a few months into my campaign for U.S. Senate. Earlier this month, we highlighted how the introductory ad for retired Brig. Background; Education & Honors; Associations; Noteworthy; In an age of legal consolidation, Mr. Messner built Messner Reeves from scratch into a national full-service business law firm with offices in ten cities with plans to open other offices. Maybe.” He noted that the Ranger community is very small, even those who earned the tab. His senior campaign advisor, Mike Biundo called the letter “a clear attempt to obscure the good work that the Messner Foundation has done.”. But the Army says he’s not an Army Ranger, and that’s important for voters to understand. The profile for Corky Messner for the New Hampshire 11-03-20 General Election election on November 03, 2020 November 2, 2020. Corky Messner asks, “Why haven’t people asked about the Shaheen Law Firm getting Federal PPE loans and then making a donation to Black Lives Matter?” Bryant “Corky” Messner is the Republican Party Primary candidate for US Senate. Both men are Ranger-qualified. Nonetheless, I decided to conduct research and wanted to gather as much information as possible to accurately represent my military service. Office: Denver. The co-founder of Denver-based law firm Messner Reeves has stepped down from the CEO position. The initial recipient, Majarlika Diane Villaruel-Mariano, received about $48,000 over three years to study at the University of Denver. Anyone in the military can attend the Ranger School, whether or not they served in the Ranger Regiment. “The complaint is a political hoax with no legal basis or merit,” he said in an email. Facebook. “Corky Messner (@CorkyForSenate) will be a fantastic Senator for New Hampshire! Twitter. Corky Messner for New Hampshire. Messner graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1979 and rose to be a captain before leaving the army in 1984 to go to law school. To understand how they plan to protect Social Security and Medicare, stimulate the economy, lower prescription drug prices and ensure that Americans have access to affordable long-term care, AARP New Hampshire asked each candidate to answer five key … Based upon the statements I have gathered and set forth below, it is clear that even recent retirees of the US Army, and a former commander of the Ranger Regiment, have views different than that of the statement you provided. Corky Messner and Don Bolduc were asked about the issue by the moderator of a primary debate in Manchester. Bryant “Corky” Messner, a graduate of West Point and retired U.S. Army Ranger, is the founding partner of a national law firm and resides in New Hampshire. Messner moved to New Hampshire after making his fortune by building up a corporate law firm in Colorado. But Messner, who has been endorsed by President Trump, has his own problem with how he touts his military credentials. Latest news and commentary on Corky Messner including photos, videos, quotations, and a biography. Disabling auto-updates may improve reliability when using a screen reader or keyboard to navigate. Messner’s campaign previously told the Washington Post that the donations to his sons’ school was in keeping with the foundation’s mission “to cultivate the next generation of business and community leaders, that the scholarship program did not formally begin until 2016 and that a second student has recently been awarded funds. When I was first asked about this, I was surprised that this was even a question. Winner Race called by The Associated Press. Debate in the media between the Corky Messner and Don Bolduc camps continued this week after we first reported that the Trump Victory organization is fully on board with Messner … The Ranger School is an intense 62-day small-unit tactics course for dismounted infantry that only about 40 percent manage to complete. BEDFORD, NH – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bryant “Corky” Messner is one of a handful of candidates nationwide endorsed by the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR). Messner is one of four Republicans competing in the Sept. 8 primary for a chance to unseat Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is seeking a third term. (Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Messner rose to be a lieutenant colonel.). Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events, GOP Senate hopeful says he’s an ‘Army Ranger,’ but Army says he’s ‘Ranger-qualified’. All members of the 75th Ranger Regiment have passed the Ranger Assessment Selection Program 1, 2, or both. Further, during a recent event, Messner was asked about where he’d voted, Corky indicated that he “likes to vote down at city hall.” Bio. 12 talking about this. “The Messner Foundation and its president, Corky Messner, swindled both the underprivileged students in Colorado it was promising to help, as well as all of the people who purchased tickets for its 2015 raffle believing their money was going toward a good cause,” according to the request from former Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey. Email: cmessner@messner.com. Corky Messner graduated from West Point in 1979 and served as an Army Rangers captain until 1984. It was spurred by a recent article in the Washington Post that described years of misleading marketing by the Messner Foundation, which provided just a single scholarship in its first 10 years of existence. “Should he say he was ‘Ranger-qualified’ in his ads? That’s an elite unit within the military. ‘Corky’ Messner wins GOP Senate primary to challenge Jeanne Shaheen. Messner has loaned $2 million to his campaign. My due diligence revealed that I and the majority of Army Rangers did not serve in the Ranger Regiment (in fact, not all Ranger Regiment members are Army Ranger School graduates), yet we are proudly considered Army Rangers due to having graduated from the United States Army Ranger School. Follow July 31, 2020 at 7 ... — Bryant “Corky” Messner, GOP candidate running for Senate in New Hampshire, during a Merrimack County (N.H.) Republican Committee Happy Hour, May 27, 2020. Senator Jeanne … FILE - This photo combo shows Republican Bryant "Corky" Messner, left, and incumbent U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, right, New Hampshire candidates for the U.S. Senate in the Nov. 3 general election. Manchester, NH – A recent report by WMUR’s John Distaso revealed that Corky Messner began his run for U.S. Senate in Colorado, where he owns a business and lived prior to recently changing his New Hampshire vacation home to his place of residence. Phone: 303.623.1800. “Unless you served in a Ranger battalion, I think you’re overstretching your claim. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2020 Senator Rand Paul Endorses N.H. GOP Senate Candidate Messner. But Bolduc, with his five Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, has never felt the need to label himself an Army Ranger. As for the official statement you provided, one cannot expect to go through life adapting one’s proud military service to the ever-changing designations currently used by the US Army. Holly Ramer . Wolfeboro attorney, hoping to challenge Shaheen, says in video he … The U.S. Army Ranger Course is the Army's premier leadership school, and falls under Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia, and is open to all members of the military, regardless of whether they have served in the 75th Ranger Regiment or completed the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program. But it turns out Bolduc has a case for a complaint. We explained that a political candidate is running ads saying he is a former Army Ranger, but one of his rivals, also ex-Army, says he can’t be considered a Ranger. So I contacted the Army Ranger Hall of Fame, spoke to fellow members, and reached out to other Army Rangers. He graduated from West Point in 1979 and served as an Army Rangers captain until 1984. And during the 36 years since I left the Army, I was never questioned about referring to myself as an Army Ranger. RealClearPolitics - Election 2020 - New Hampshire Senate - Messner vs. Shaheen JEANNE SHAHEEN’s recent op-ed in the New Hampshire Union Leader, ... Bryant 'Corky' Messner: In a crisis, 72 hours matter, and calls for bipartisanship don’t hide it Republican Corky Messner files ‘NH Advantage PAC’ to help conservative state candidates. Claim: “As an Army captain and Ranger during the Cold War, he led men in our battle against socialism.” Bryant ‘Corky’ Messner becomes third Republican to announce 2020 US Senate bid. “Corky Messner is a multimillionaire from Colorado who moved across the country to try to buy New Hampshire’s Senate seat,” said Shaheen campaign spokesman Josh Marcus-Blank. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2020 Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Messner Calls for Six Debates with Democrat Incumbent Shaheen. “I thank the Association and its members for this endorsement,” says Messner, a Wolfeboro resident working to unseat Democrat U.S. The Regiment’s higher headquarters is the U.S. Army Special Operations Command located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “The Messner Foundation and its president, Corky Messner, swindled both the underprivileged students in Colorado it was promising to help, as … “It’s all a very subtle, nuanced thing within the Army,” he said. By HOLLY RAMER August 11, 2020 GMT. A graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger Course is Ranger qualified. Bryant “Corky” Messner, most known for his work representing restaurant chain Chipotle, continues to serve as chairman of the 106-attorney firm, which focuses on corporate work and litigation. Gen. Don Bolduc, Messner’s opponent in the GOP primary, misled reporters in New Hampshire into writing he was a member of the famous “horse soldiers” depicted in a Hollywood movie. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen won reelection to a third term after comfortably defeating Republican nominee Corky Messner by 15.6 points and sweeping every single county in the state. Campaign Phone: 1 (603) 369-6109 . We sought further guidance on this issue from retired Army Col. David Fivecoat, who ran the Ranger School from 2014 to 2016. Her letter was also signed by Jean Dubofsky, a former Colorado Supreme Court justice and former deputy attorney general; the former presidents of organizations that help low-income families; a community activist and a former state senator. This is the first time in over 50 years a Democrat won Belknap County in a Senate race. A West Point graduate, he served our Country in the Army with distinction. He acknowledged there was debate within the military about who could call themselves a Ranger. “The Messner Foundation and its president, Corky Messner, swindled both the underprivileged students in Colorado it was promising to help, as well as all of the people who purchased tickets for its 2015 raffle believing their money was going toward a good cause,” the complaint states. CONTACT: Corky Messner, 603.515.6542. New Hampshire Republicans selected Bryant "Corky" Messner, a "lifelong conservative" with a history of racist statements, as their nominee for Senate on Tuesday. Confused? Simply put, there’s the Ranger School, and there’s the Ranger Regiment, a Special Operations unit. Click here to see the gun start. “The numbers announced today by the Labor Department are certainly encouraging,” says the Wolfeboro Republican. "The Messner Foundation and its president, Corky Messner, swindled both the underprivileged students in Colorado it was promising to help, as … After we contacted the Messner campaign and shared the Army comment, we received a long statement from the candidate: I served in the US Army until 1984, and during that service, there was never a question about graduates of Army Ranger School being Army Rangers. . If you’ve never heard of Bryant “Corky” Messner, you’re not alone. His board is made out of Granite Staters, not out-of-staters! He believed it would be more problematic if Messner specifically said he was part of the 75th Ranger Regiment — and we did not find evidence that is the case. “This fall, I am completing my studies with a one-year graduate-level program and will graduate next year with a master’s of accountancy, and then sit for the CPA exam,” she said. In this year's New Hampshire Senate race, incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen is facing challenger Republican Bryant "Corky" Messner. So were we. Criminal investigation sought into NH candidate’s foundation. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday requested a criminal investigation into a charitable foundation run by Bryant “Corky” Messner, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire. Contact: Carmelle Druchniak at carmelle@corkyforsenate.com Bedford, N.H. – Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate Bryant “Corky” Messner today announced he is requesting that incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen agree to six … The Regiment is the Army’s largest, joint special operations force. A West Point graduate and US Army Ranger, Mr. Messner served as an Infantry Company Commander prior to leaving the Army to attend the University of Denver College of Law. Republican Bryant "Corky" Messner of Wolfeboro, a military veteran and attorney, has pitched himself as a political outsider. Send us facts to check by filling out this form, Sign up for The Fact Checker weekly newsletter, The Fact Checker is a verified signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network code of principles. WhatsApp. I am a proud member of the U.S. Army Ranger Association. Messner earns Two Pinocchios. Calling himself an “Army Ranger” appears to be an effort to level the playing field. CONCORD — A former chief justice of … Anyone who is serving or has served within the 75th Ranger Regiment is a U.S. Army Ranger. For the record, Don Bolduc incorporated his campaign in New Hampshire, where he has voted since the 1970s. Bolduc has sought to make an issue of this. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Bryant “Corky” Messner won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating a fellow veteran and setting up a bid to deny U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen a third term. It took some time to get an official statement from the Army. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. As with Bolduc, the media has accepted the claim, describing him as “former Army Ranger Corky Messner.”. Mr. Messner resides in New Hampshire and continues his public service as part of the Wentworth Watershed Association-an association made up of residents and landowners in the Lake Wentworth/Crescent Lake watershed … In the story, it is revealed that Corky has only voted in New Hampshire once and began his campaign here with money from Colorado. The difference between “Ranger qualified” and “Army Ranger” may seem subtle, and certainly Messner has Army colleagues who say there’s little difference. Official Facebook page for Corky Messner for U.S. Senate, running in New Hampshire. WhatsApp. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has announced his endorsement of Republican Senate candidate Bryant “Corky” Messner, who is running to unseat Democrat U.S. Wolfeboro trial lawyer Bryant “Corky” Messner held on to defeat retired Brig. Attached were five statements from a collection of retired generals, colonels and the like saying that anyone who graduated from the Army Ranger course — like Messner — can call themselves an Army Ranger. NEWCOMER TO NH POLITICS. Rand Paul Endorses Corky Messner for U.S. Senate In New Hampshire Published on June 6, 2020 June 6, 2020 in News / Politics by Mark Ivanyo Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has endorsed Bryant “Corky” Messner for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, according to a report by WMUR. He completed the Ranger course in the summer of 1977 — before he graduated at U.S. Military Academy, not afterward, as stated on the campaign website — and earned the right to wear the tab, but he was not part of the Ranger Regiment. Corky Messner was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania. Vote for the only proven conservative in the NH Republican party. Contact: Carmelle Druchniak at carmelle@corkyforsenate.com BEDFORD, NH – Leading conservative U.S. Corky Messner (write-in) 137 0.09% Republican: Andy Martin (write-in) 11 0.0% Republican: Gerard Beloin (write-in) 3 0.0% Total votes 151,268 : 100.0% : Republican primary Candidates Nominee. “The Messner Foundation scholarships helped cover my costs throughout my years of study, helping me achieve my career goals and realize my potential, and I am grateful to Mr. Messner for his support and guidance.”, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Criminal probe sought into NH U.S. Senate candidate ’Corky’ Messner’s foundation. “New Hampshire’s economy is the envy of the northeast,” Corky says in announcing the PAC. Messner is running against one of the first Special Forces officers in Afghanistan and retired at a lower rank. We posed the question to the Army, starting with the Ranger School at Fort Benning. NH Now: Don Bolduc and Corky Messner 9-8-20. A letter sent to the Colorado secretary of state and attorney general accuses Messner of violating several state laws by running a fraudulent foundation purported to help low-income college students. Messner’s phrasing on his website is especially problematic: “Corky became an Army Ranger, serving abroad guarding the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.” That certainly suggests being in an elite unit, even if the 75th Regiment is not directly mentioned. JavaScript is required for full functionality on this website, but scripting is currently disabled. More recently, I received the attached response from the US Army Ranger Association. Gen. Don Bolduc of Stratham Tuesday night. In a statement, she said it will enable her to become the first in her family to graduate from college. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Messner enjoys a massive cash-on-hand advantage in the New Hampshire GOP primary for U.S. Senate and a significantly larger organization than his opponent, retired Gen. Don Bolduc. Corky Campaign Address: Messner for Senate Post Office Box 10370 Bedford, NH 03110. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:January 15th, 2020Contact: Todd Cheewing(516) 521-7296TCheewing@CorkyforSenate.com Articles of Impeachment Bedford, NH: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s[ . DOWNLOAD Profile. His campaign is to a great extent self-funded. In his ads and on his website, he describes himself as an Army Ranger. Facebook. September 8, 2020. . NH Senate Candidate Accused Of Domestic Incident In Colorado: Doc - Concord, NH - "Corky" Messner's wife hid in a closet and called cops to their home in 2006. As Governors and as US Senators, Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen have committed the crimes of Accessory to murder after the fact and Deprivation of rights under the color of law to help cover up the admitted political assassination of Dr. Craig Hieber. The 75th Ranger Regiment is a special operations unit with the mission to plan and conduct joint special military operations in support of national policies and objectives. Strong on Jobs, Crime, Vets, Military a I never served in a Ranger battalion,” he said in May. Welcome,” says Corky Messner, candidate in the GOP Senate primary in New Hampshire, at a recent campaign event. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. With the majority of precincts reporting, Messner, a vocal defender of Donald Trump and his botched pandemic response, is the projected winner of the Republican Senate primary, with a 50.5% to 42.5% margin over retired Army Brig. Meanwhile, the foundation raised money via car raffles that also promoted his Denver-based law firm and donated $50,000 to an elite private school his sons attended at the time. Associated Press. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Corky Messner, the Republican nominee for United States Senate in 2020, announces New Hampshire Advantage PAC’s launch to strengthen New Hampshire’s position economically and socially. Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is running for a third term this year against challenger Republican Corky Messner. It's a race to the finish! By Holly Ramer - Associated Press Shares . A former chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday requested a criminal investigation into a charitable foundation run by Bryant “Corky” Messner, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.