helped tens of thousands of drug users# loosen addiction's hold over their lives.

But a three-year investigation undertaken by# a local journalist uncovered evidence that the## group's founder took advantage of his position# and the vulnerability of his patients and staff.

Ali Rogin has that conversation.

And a warning that elements of this discussion# ALI ROGIN: New Hampshire Public Radio# investigative reporter Lauren Chooljian## recently released "The 13th Step" chronicling# her reporting over the last few years.

But the## story didn't end with publication,# as Chooljian found reporting on the## alleged abuses left her, her family and# her news organization vulnerable as well.

Lauren, thank you so much for joining us.

Let's first talk about the name of your LAUREN CHOOLJIAN, New Hampshire Public Radio:# Well, it refers to the 12 steps of Alcoholics## Anonymous.

It's kind of a euphemism on those# 12 steps, as the step that comes And, basically, what it means is that people who# have later sobriety, who have been through the## program, have years or months of sobriety are# then, insert verb here, preying on or flirting## with or trying to start a relationship# with someone who is in earlier sobriety.

Now, our podcast digs into the times# where that is very unwanted and very## problematic.

And the reason why it can be# problematic is because there's a really,## really difficult power differential there.

Here's# someone who has more footing undernea and a person in early recovery.

I mean,# that's an extremely vulnerable time.

And so consent is really tricky.

And I should say,# like, if you have never he it's likely that you're not in recovery, because# people in recovery will tell you, this is just## the most common thing.

I had someone tell me that# they heard it first in the '70s.

In the history## of addiction treatment, you will see it right# there with the adoption of Alcoholics Anonymous.

It's a thing that has been around,## but just a lot of us haven't ALI ROGIN: Let's talk about the man at the# center of the allegations in Hi s name is Eric Spofford.

He's the CEO# of one of the largest addiction recove systems in the Northeast.

Tell us about his story.

LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: He started his company at# a time when New Hampshire, l but especially in New Hampshire,# we really desperately needed help.

He started with one small sober home, grew# that company to one of the biggest provider of substance use disorder treatment in# New England.

And not only did he do it,## but people really believed in him,# our governor, who says that he -- Eric## Spofford was the first person he would call# if he had questions about the opioid cri And Eric offered not just a story# that people wanted to rally behind,## but a company that he said really was doing# things right.

I think we have a little tape## from Eric talking about in a training video that# he made for staff how different his company,## which is called Granite Recovery# Centers, was supposed to be.

ERIC SPOFFORD, Founder, Granite Recovery# Centers: and operates on integrity.

We pride# ourselves on doi We have always held a high standard of doing the# right thing in a time where addiction treatment,## not everybody that does this work# is doing the right thing.

And we## put clients over profits consistently.# And we care about the people we serve.

LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: But as I learned# through my now three years of reporting,## there was very much another story going on here.

ALI ROGIN: And let's talk about that# private closed doors that really contrasted with# the public image that yo LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Yes.

So, origin in December of 2020.

And I got a tip soon after# that that Eric was facing multiple allegations of## sexual misconduct, and that he was paying women# to keep them silent about these allegations.

Obviously, that's a stunning e-mail to# get.

And I started digging around.

And## so one woman I heard from, we referred to her# as Elizabeth.

Elizabeth told me that she was## a client of one of Eric's treatment# centers.

And the day after she left,## she started receiving explicit# pictures on Snapchat from Eric.

ELIZABETH, Former Patient: I# knew in my court wasn't right,## because I know that a CEO of a treatment# se nding you pictures of his (EXPLETIVE# DELETED).

He shouldn't be sending me## pictures of his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) even a# year later.

That's just integrity 101, I didn't -- I didn't want any of it.

I wanted# a roof over my head and food in my tummy.

Li I wanted to feel safe.

So I knew not to share it.

LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Then I also heard from# an employee, a for who says that she also received these# Snapchats while she was working for him,## and that he sexually assaulted her in# the office in the middle of the wo I found additional allegations as well.# And it just goes to show that there was## a lot more happening other than the public# story that many of us, including NHPR -- we## had Eric on as an expert source during some# of the hardest times of the opioid crisis.

And so there was a lot, a lot of digging I needed# to do to find out what was really going on here.

ALI ROGIN: Let's talk about some# of the underlying reasons for## what makes this particular cohort so vulnerable.

LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Yes, I think, Ali, a lot of# the times, when we talk about active addic or we talk about addiction, substance use# disorder, we think about active addiction.

But we don't talk as often about, once that# substance has ended, it doesn't mean like,## OK, your brain is back to normal, and everything's# fine, your life's back in order.

You're basically## finding out who you are all over again.

And# so to be -- have an understanding of consent,## when you're still rebuilding your# life and trying to figure out the## next phase and a healthier phase of# your life, it's extremel AA or the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, while# they have benefited and I learned through my reporting# they can also be easily exploited,## because of the way that the program is# built.

And so I spoke with a writer Holly Whitaker, who has a# book, "Quit Like a Woman."

Here's a little bit of what Holly said.

HOLLY WHITAKER, Author, "Quit Li do n't complain.

Like, do your wo k, keep yourself -- like, like, the entire system, you understand# why people with addictions are treated as## inhumanely as they're treated and not trusted,# and are perfect victims, perfect victims.

ALI ROGIN: Eric Spofford has# denied the allegations against## him.

But I do want to ask about# the retaliation that you and family and your co-workers have come# under as a result of your reporting.

Tell us about that.

LAUREN and a month after that news story came# out, my parents' home wa the C-word spray-painted on the garage# door, a rock through the window.

And when I called my boss to tell him what# had happened at my mom and dad's house,## he said: "Oh, my God, Lauren.# That happened to my house."

And then I later find out it happened at a# house I used to rent.

we did have security camera footage# capture that my house also was vandalized,## and my parents' home was vandalized# again.

Same thing at my parents house,## the C-word on the garage, brick# or rock thrown out the window.

But, at my house, a brick was thrown through# this like big beautiful picture in my living room.

And the words "Just# the Beginning" were spray-painted under## my house.

It was obviously a pretty harrowing# thing.

At the time, I didn't know what really## had happened or why, but my instinct was# that it was in response to the reporting.

I have never in my 10-plus years# in this field faced anything like## that.

And it was -- it was --# it has been quite difficult.

ALI ROGIN: Well, the podcast is "The# 13th Step."

It is a riveting listen.

Lauren Chooljian, thank# you so much for joining us.

LAUREN CHOOLJIAN: Thank you so much.

GEOFF BENNETT: And we men with alleged ties to Spofford# in connection with the vandalism.

Spofford did not respond to the "NewsHour"'s# multiple requests for co since-dismissed defamation suit he# filed against Chooljian and NHPR,## his attorneys wrote this -- quote -- "From top to# bottom, both the article and the podcast falsely## state and imply that Eric sexually harassed# one woman and sexually assaulted two others.## Each NHPR defendant knew or recklessly# disregarded that these claims were false."