Free State Project Members

Free State Project members sign a pledge to move to New Hampshire and work to change the way of life in our state. They do not move here for a job, or for family, or even because they like what New Hampshire has to offer. Instead, they move here because a political group they are affiliated with voted on a state to move to in order to enact a political agenda, and New Hampshire was the unlucky recipient of that vote.

State House Candidate Eric Schleien (Hillsborough District 37: Hudson & Pelham)

State House candidate and incumbent Eric Schleien is a member of the Free State Project. Schleien has demonstrated considerable ties to the Free State Project, including:

Schleien is referenced as a Free State Project member and early mover on the official Free State Project website. The blog post highlights Schleien’s efforts as a State Representative to allow bitcoin for transactions. (Free State Project website, Potential of Bitcoin in NH, April 3, 2015)

As a State Representative, Schleien sponsored legislation for New Hampshire to accept bitcoin for payment of state taxes and fees. In the article – which is titled “It’s a match: Free Staters and bitcoin” — the Union Leader references Schleien as an “avowed Free Stater.” The article notes that: “[Bitcoin is] based on the notion that if enough people believe in it, and enough merchants accept it, bitcoin can eventually become a form of international currency free of government and central bank authority, thus the appeal to liberty-minded folks like Schleien. It’s also a popular method of payment for suspect transactions on the “dark web” since it is untraceable.” (Union Leader, It’s a match: Free Staters and bitcoin, March 7, 2015)

Schleien actively defends the Free State Project and its goals. At a recent presentation about the group, Granite State Progress asked all Free State Project members in attendance to identify themselves, and Schleien admitted his affiliation and spoke up in defense of the Free State Project and its stated goals several times. (Rockingham County Democrats, Granite State Progress: Free State Project Exposed, May 24, 2017)

Why is Eric Schleien’s FSP Affiliation Important?

The ultra-extreme Free State Project voted on a state to move 20,000 people to, with the stated purpose to take over state government and dismantle it. The Free State Project seeks to create a libertarian “utopia” void of public infrastructure and common laws, and to use the power of numbers to dramatically change New Hampshire – even threatening secession from the rest of the country.[1] Members like Eric Schleien are actively working to help the Free State Project fulfill those goals.

Download GSP Profile – Free State Project Member Eric Schleien

[1] “Once we’ve taken over the state government, we can slash state and local budgets, which make up a sizeable proportion of the tax and regulatory burden we face every day. Furthermore, we can eliminate substantial federal interference by refusing to take highway funds and the strings attached to them. Once we’ve accomplished these things, we can bargain with the national government over reducing the role of the national government in our state. We can use the threat of secession as leverage to do this.” [Announcement:
The Free State Project by Founder Jason Sorens]