John Conforti, leaving his post as chief compliance officer for the state Lottery Commission, is now the deputy city solicitor for the City of Concord.

The city solicitor heads the city’s legal department, which includes the city prosecutor’s office and serves as counsel for City Hall, giving legal advice to departments, committees and City Council. Conforti assumes the deputy position to Solicitor Danielle Pacik, who was tapped for the top job after serving as deputy during the 12-year tenure of her predecessor, Jim Kennedy. Kennedy, who also served first as the deputy solicitor, is now a superior court judge.

“I’m excited to join the City of Concord and look forward to assisting our departments perform their important work on behalf of the citizens of Concord,” Conforti said in a written statement released by the city.

At the Lottery Commission, Conforti led oversight of casinos in New Hampshire, including audits and investigations. He worked with the Attorney General’s office to investigate Concord Casino owner Andy Sanborn for claims that he had fraudulently received and used pandemic relief funds, leading to the suspension of his gaming license last year. A new proposed casino project on the Heights by Sanborn is at the heart of a current tangle of lawsuits against the city — one of which was brought by Sanborn’s project.

Conforti also spent six years as an assistant attorney general in the state Department of Justice in the civil and transportation bureaus before he joined the Lottery Commission in 2018. He assumed his new role on Monday. 

“We are happy to welcome John to the City of Concord,” Pacik said in the city’s announcement. “He brings extensive legal experience and expertise, and will be a great addition to our team.”

Catherine McLaughlin can be contacted at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com.