Last week, the Federal Elections Commission ruled that U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta illegally accepted $355,000 in donations from his parents during his 2010 campaign for New Hampshire’s first district congressional seat. The FEC ordered Guinta to pay back the $355,000 and also fined him $15,000. The ruling was part of a settlement that Guinta reached with the FEC following a five-year investigation.
According to the FEC ruling, Guinta’s parents had already contributed the maximum amount possible to his campaign. However, Guinta says the money came from a bank account he held jointly with his parents and that “with 40 years of time, and through appreciation, interest, investments and more, I was personally responsible for funds exceeding the amount I loaned the 2010 campaign.” In a statement released on May 17, Guinta says he “made an error on the first financial disclosure report” he filed with the FEC in 2010 and that he has documentation proving the money was his.
Meanwhile, a number of New Hampshire politicians have called for Guinta, a Republican, to resign. U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, state Senate President Chuck Morse, and New Hampshire House Speaker Shawn Jasper are among the top Republican officials to publicly call for Guinta to step down. — Larry Clow