NAME THAT PARTY: Former state senator accused of altercation with Brown campaign

11/2/2014

Burt Cohen

PORTSMOUTH — A verbal altercation Friday night at Portsmouth High School came about because of an idling tour bus belonging to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown. 

There was a football game happening at the time, at about 7 p.m. Ryan Williams, a spokesperson for the Brown campaign said Brown was downtown watching the Halloween Parade while the bus dropped off his sister and his niece at the game. The niece is a PHS student. 

That’s when things went south, but the stories from each side vary widely and police say they will not make a decision about any potential charges until they sift through both sides in an attempt to find the truth.

“Our portion is still under investigation at this point,” said Sgt. Dave Keaveny. “We got a call because there was a disturbance by the bus. We responded but are still trying to sort out what happened.”

Williams said a man approached the bus, screaming obscenities. He said the man, later identified as New Castle resident Burt Cohen, a longtime Democratic state senator, not only refused to leave when asked, but attempted to board the bus, accosting a campaign volunteer who tried to stop him.

Williams alleges that the volunteer campaign worker stood between Cohen and the bus and Cohen "physically assaulted" the campaigner.

"He laid his hands on him," Williams said. "That's when the authorities were called."

Reached by phone, Cohen admitted he approached the bus, to ask how long they intended to idle the bus. He absolutely denies trying to force his way on the bus or touching any member of the Brown campaign.

“I told them it is pollution,” said Cohen, reached by phone. “I care about things like that. “

From there, the conversation went downhill, Cohen said. 

“One woman on the bus said ‘give my regards to Jeanne Shaheen,’ and I told her to give me her name and I would do that. She refused to tell me her name.”

Cohen said the Brown camp immediately got rude with him.

“They got nasty and unfortunately I got nasty in turn,” said Cohen. “I did swear and I regret that. I think things got caught up in the heat of the campaign. That does happen.”

A scanner report stated there was a man with a weapon; Cohen said that was not the case.

“I had a cell phone and it’s black,” said Cohen. “I certainly did not have a weapon.”

The Brown people insist Cohen was “acting erratically.” And they noted that Cohen is a supporter and a donor for the Jeanne Shaheen campaign, Brown’s opponent.

“We are calling on Jeanne Shaheen to denounce this behavior, and to return any campaign contributions from Burt Cohen,” said Williams. “This man terrorized Scott’s sister, his niece and her friends. He physically assaulted one of our volunteers. We locked the bus and he was going around it, banging on it.”

Cohen left the scene on his own and was later identified through a photo. He said he has already spoken to police and no charges have been filed against him. 

“I am really upset and regretful,” said Cohen. “This should not have ended this way.”

Williams said Cohen also was at a recent Brown get-out-the-vote event at 1 Harbor Place where he stood outside the event "screaming bloody murder." Williams said he heard the screaming, turned around and recognized that it was Cohen.

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