New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Gordon MacDonald resigned his post Tuesday and admitted that he violated the judicial code of conduct in a matter involving a nearly $50,000 payout to one of his senior staffers.

MacDonald sent his resignation to New Hampshire GOP Gov. Kelly Ayotte, acknowledging his violations and pointed to a stipulation and agreement he reached with the court’s judicial conduct committee.

“I believe this is in the best interests of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch,” he wrote in the letter. “I accept responsibility and accountability for my conduct.”

The resignation revolves around his behavior toward longtime aide Dianne Martin, whom he helped collect a nearly $50,000 payout by laying her off last year and then promptly rehiring her for a different job within the judicial branch.

Martin was hired in 2021 as director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, but was laid off from the role in 2025 and rehired a few days later in April 2025 as general counsel for the Office of Bar Admission. Because she was laid off, she was entitled to an additional payout, which represented her unused vacation time and sick leave, plus other benefits.

MacDonald admitted in the agreement that his behavior toward Martin amounted to favoritism. He also acknowledged that his actions meant he failed to promote public confidence in the judiciary’s impartiality, failed to avoid the appearance of impropriety and to perform his administrative duties competently and diligently with regard to her employment.

MacDonald's resignation is effective immediately and marks a sudden end to his five-year tenure leading the state's judicial branch.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.