Congressional candidate Eric Estevez claims many political and business achievements – founder of a consulting firm, recipient of a doctorate from Northeastern University, an endorsement by a sitting U.S. representative.

But several of Estevez’s assertions are exaggerated or in dispute, a Monitor review found.

The 33-year-old Republican touted campaign endorsements that never came in. His consulting firm listed clients and directors who say they have never heard of the business. He hasn’t yet walked in his doctoral graduation.

Estevez disputed the discrepancies, and in some cases, blamed others.

“In politics, attacks come with the territory,” he said. “It’s business as usual for political opponents to try to destroy your credibility.”

Estevez is no stranger to accusations of misrepresentation. During his past campaigns for state office in Massachusetts and in New Hampshire, the Republican has been dogged by questions about endorsements, his accomplishments and where he actually lived.

He was elected to the New Hampshire House in 2014 to represent Pelham and Hudson, after a state commission ruled in Estevez’s favor when his residency was challenged.

Estevez, a first-term state representative, is now running in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District. He faces off against Republicans Jack Flanagan, Jim Lawrence and several others in a primary race on Sept. 13. The winner will go on to challenge incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster.

While Estevez filed to be on the state primary ballot, he has yet to register with the Federal Election Commission. A candidate for Congress must file a statement of candidacy with the FEC within 15 days of spending or raising more than $5,000. Estevez has not submitted that form and said he hasn’t reached the dollar threshold yet.

Estevez announced his congressional campaign last spring, and has cast himself as an outsider who will bring fiscal responsibility to Washington, D.C.

‘News to me’

Estevez has an advanced degree from Northeastern University and has spent most of his career teaching at various colleges in the Bay State.

Outside of academia, the Republican launched a Massachusetts “legal and public consulting firm” in 2013. Two of the men Estevez listed as directors said they have nothing to do with the firm. A client Estevez said he worked with said that did not happen.

Attorneys Joseph Ingaharro and Hugh Crossland said they never agreed to join Estevez and Partners LTD as directors. Both were unaware their names appeared on the firm’s corporate filing until notified by the Monitor.

“That’s news to me,” said Ingaharro, an immigration attorney in Massachusetts who said he knew Estevez from school. “I am a little uncomfortable if I am listed as a director.”

Estevez registered the consulting firm with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth in 2013 and named himself president and treasurer, documents show. He added Ingaharro and Crossland as firm directors in a March 2013 document he signed “under the penalties of perjury” and submitted to the state of Massachusetts.

“I am shocked and surprised,” said Crossland, a Massachusetts attorney who said he has never met Estevez. “I am not part of it at all . . . not in any way shape or form. I never have been.”

Estevez said both men “agreed to it a long time ago.” When pressed, Estevez called Ingaharro during the interview and turned the cell phone over to a Monitor reporter.

Ingaharro again said he was not a director at the firm. “I am so confused,” he said.

The Secretary of the Commonwealth office does not investigate corporate registration filings, like director names, unless a complaint is filed, according to spokesman Brian McNiff.

The Monitor attempted to reach the five directors who were not members of the Estevez family. One has died and another did not return several requests for comment.

Tim Howard confirmed he was a director at the firm and said in an email he had been Estevez’s doctoral professor at Northeastern. “As a director I advised Eric on ways to advance civil and criminal justice and economic and social policies to assist the less fortunate,” he wrote.

It’s not clear what work Estevez and Partners performed; it named few clients on its Facebook page. Estevez characterized the firm as a nonprofit charity that provided monetary assistance to injured horse jockeys and worked to improve race conditions.

The firm posted on its Facebook page in 2013 that it had “teamed up” with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to provide “both legal and policy advice.”

A spokesman for the NTRA said Estevez and his firm have never advised the association.

Estevez disputed the group’s assertion, saying his firm partnered with the NTRA. “We didn’t have any official contracts with them,” he said, “but we worked in partnership to achieve several objectives to improve working conditions for the employees at thoroughbred race tracks across the country.”

Estevez and Partners recently dissolved, Estevez said.

Estevez graduated with a master’ts degree from Northeastern University and claims to also hold a doctorate in law and public policy from the school. The Boston-based university has no record of Estevez graduating from the doctoral program. Estevez said he has completed all required coursework, but his dissertation is being processed and he hasn’t walked in graduation yet.

Disputed claims

Estevez has run several times for House representative in Massachusetts and in New Hampshire.

In his 2006 bid for New Hampshire state representative, Estevez drew criticism for distributing campaign business cards imprinted with the state seal, reserved for official use only.

He ran unsuccessfully in the Bay State in 2010. During that campaign, Estevez faced questions about assertions he was endorsed by a police association and had been student body president at Miami’s Barry Univeristy, according to Boston.com. Both organizations disputed the claims the outlet reported.

Four years later – when Estevez mounted a bid in New Hampshire – a competitor filed a complaint with the state Ballot Law Commission alleging Estevez lived in Massachusetts prior to the election. He cited an Estevez and Partners 2013 business filing that listed Estevez at a Wakefield, Mass., address.

To be eligible, a House candidate has to live in the district for two years.

Estevez denied living in Massachusetts. He said he was raised in Pelham and left only to attend college and graduate school, commission records show. The Ballot Law Commission found in Estevez’s favor, but questions still come up about his residence.

Estevez listed a Pelham post office box as his mailing address when he filed to run for office this year. He lives on Majestic Drive in town, he said.

For the first few weeks of the most recent House session, however, Estevez requested a mileage reimbursement that would have covered a commute from Concord to Boston.

Lawmakers are paid for miles they drive between their home and the State House. Legislative records show Estevez requested reimbursement for commuting 148 miles in late 2014, when Pelham is a roughly 80 mile round-trip.

Estevez soon adjusted the request down to 84 miles round-trip following an audit, but he did not pay the state back the $280 difference.

Estevez attributed the original error to the House Speaker’s office.

“I didn’t request 150 miles,” he said. “That is what somebody from the Speaker’s office told me to put down.”

House Chief of Staff Terry Pfaff said that did not happen.

“That is a complete inaccuracy,” Pfaff said. “We do not recommend mileage to any member. We have them list their mileage and we verify it through two different mapping programs.”

The campaign

In his current campaign, the Republican has faced allegations of doctoring campaign photos and announcing endorsements that were never offered.

In one instance, Estevez posted a photo on Twitter of he and Texas U.S. Rep. Bill Flores side-by-side. The caption read: “Blessed to be Endorsed by Congressman Bill Flores, Texas.”

Flores did not endorse Estevez, spokesman Andre Castro said in an email.

Estevez said Flores agreed to back his campaign at the Republican National Convention, but then became neutral after New Hampshire bloggers questioned the endorsement. The photo remains on Twitter.

Estevez also came under fire in July after posting pictures of elected officials that were doctored to include his campaign stickers and signs. Initially Estevez attributed the mishap to a hack, according to WMUR.

But Estevez told the Monitor last week that a campaign staffer had been responsible for the photoshopped images, which he said he hadn’t known about before their release. The worker has since been demoted, Estevez said.

“People make mistakes,” Estevez said. “The most important thing is I take full responsibility for it.”

(Allie Morris can be reached at 369-3307 or amorris@cmonitor.com.)

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