Frank Guinta vs. The Union Leader

by: Dean Barker

Tue Sep 27, 2011 at 18:26:30 PM EDT

After a month of silence on the issue, Guinta on Monday disputed the news report and said the complaint is based on false information.

"I never directly or indirectly solicited the RGA," Guinta said.

The Union Leader on Monday stood by the report, published Aug. 27.

1) Frank Guinta has broken his month-long silence with a denial.
2) The Union Leader makes a point of explicitly standing by the accuracy of their source.

A key paragraph from an NHDP release (email) on the heels of this offers more detail:

WMUR also reported that according to "several sources with direct knowledge of the events" Guinta said "the Republican Governor's Association would give $100,000 to the state party, but not as long as Kimball was there." [WMUR, 8/27/2011]  Both WMUR and the Union Leader reported that Senator Kelly Ayotte, Congressman Bass, Senate President Bragdon, and Speaker Bill O'Brien all had knowledge of Guinta's solicitation to the RGA from a conference call.

My criticism of the New Hampshire Union Leader has been long and loud.  But I'm not sure it's ever once been about the accuracy of facts in their non-editorial reportage.

In other news, Rep. Guinta has recently been named one of the most corrupt members of Congress.

(find me > 140 on birch paper; on Twitter < 140)

Latest Guinta FEC Complaint Raises Questions

by: Dean Barker

Mon Sep 26, 2011 at 20:53:02 PM EDT

Back when the Republican elite in New Hampshire were trying to show off how the money would roll in - if only they could depose of Tea Party leader Jack Kimball - someone leaked this to the Union Leader:

Guinta mentioned that he had contacted several national groups for money and that he had been hoping "to get up to $100,000 from the Republican Governors Association (for the NHGOP)," the source said.

When Kimball asked for examples, the source said, (House Speaker Bill) O'Brien mentioned that he had been told by Guinta that the RGA had refused a donation request.

The Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits federal candidates and officeholders like Congressman Frank Guinta from soliciting, directing, or transferring, or spending funds in connection with an election that are outside the federal restrictions and limits.  Under those limits, federal candidates and officeholders may solicit up to $10,000 per year from federally permissible sources - such as individuals and federal multicandidate committees - for the federal and nonfederal accounts of a state party. But $100,000 is in far excess of the limits and the RGA is a non-permissible federal donor.

"At no point did the RGA commit resources nor were we solicited to do so," (RGA spox Mike) Schrimpf said.

A spokesman for Guinta said the congressman had no immediate comment.

(find me > 140 on birch paper; on Twitter < 140)

Frank Guinta, the RGA, and $100,000

by: Dean Barker

Wed Sep 21, 2011 at 05:45:26 AM EDT

Perhaps this renewed scrutiny into Frank Guinta's campaign mystery money (still unresolved by FEC) can bring needed press attention to a more recent matter.

Union Leader, August 26, 2011:

Guinta mentioned that he had contacted several national groups for money and that he had been hoping "to get up to $100,000 from the Republican Governors Association [for the NHGOP]," the source said.

From Mother Jones, key piece of information on a related issue.  This concerns a loophole scheme for federal officeholders to solicit unlimited funds for super-PACs, which in turn could then spend unlimited amounts in their districts bashing their opponents (quite analogous to state party spending):

Last week, the campaign finance watchdog's top attorneys quietly released a draft opinion declaring that Bopp's plan violates campaign finance law. Specifically, the attorneys pointed to the McCain-Feingold law, which bans elected officials and candidates from soliciting "soft money," or unlimited campaign contributions, in connection with a federal election. The attorneys added that it's OK for federal officials to appear and speak at fundraisers where unlimited cash is being raised, so long as they don't directly solicit it themselves.

(find me > 140 on birch paper; on Twitter < 140)

Why Does Frank Guinta Want $100K of RGA Money?

by: Dean Barker

Fri Aug 26, 2011 at 19:11:30 PM EDT

Guinta mentioned that he had contacted several national groups for money and that he had been hoping "to get up to $100,000 from the Republican Governors Association," the source said.

But Guinta told the group that "before any money was discussed, he was told by the RGA that they must put their resources where "they are going to be useful and not wasted and they think that the party is so badly run, that Jack Kimball has so little ability to get the message out that they just can't see putting money in that direction," according to the source.

Likely, Frank Guinta, like all incumbents, is doing one thing with his dialing-for-dollars time - helping himself.

So that begs the question: What does a member of our federal delegation want with a group that helps gubernatorial candidates?

Oh, did I mention that, unlike with federal candidates such as Guinta, you can contribute unlimited amounts of money to groups like the RGA? Who then can give whatever they want to the state party?

In other news, in the 2010 race Frank Guinta loaned himself $355,000 that didn't appear to be his to loan.  To date he has refused to produce a simple bank statement proving it's his, despite bipartisan complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission.

(find me > 140 on birch paper; on Twitter < 140)

Foreign Born Mogul Working to Influence NH Elections

by: Dean Barker

Fri Oct 01, 2010 at 20:15:48 PM EDT

Recently, News Corp made a one million dollar donation to the Republican Governor's Association.

The RGA, in turn, just spent $370,000 for a week's ad buy trashing our governor.

News Corp also gave one million to the US Chamber of Commerce.

The US Chamber of Commerce, after dropping millions to try to defeat Jeanne Shaheen, was more recently spotted in New Hampshire spending 200,000 dollars trashing our Senate nominee Paul Hodes.

Why are we letting out of state billionaires use the TeeVee to try to swing our elections here in New Hampshire?  No self-respecting Granite Stater should put up with that.