Protesters from the Take Down Guinta campaign, 2012.
Sign Petition Calling on Guinta to Resign!
There’s no sting worse in politics than when your own party bites you on your soft-spot and right now Frank Guinta must be feeling some serious sting. But of course, baby-face Frankie can’t say he didn’t bring it on himself. Burdened with the load of his investigation by the Federal Election Commission and the embarrassment of his constant insistence on innocence, the GOP and their chorus, most notably the Union Leader, have broken their silence and come out demanding Guinta resign.
First, let’s not forget that this investigation more than likely occurred because of the pressure from good progressive activism such as CREDO supported Take Down Guinta campaign in 2012. Activists have long asked why Frank Guinta had a sudden dump of $355,000 in his political action fund during the 2010 election for the first congressional seat. At that time Guinta had refused to disclose the source of that money and other funds he “loaned” his election campaign as Jon Hopwood explains in a 2012 article on Guinta for the Examiner,
The loan, the terms of which Guinta refused to disclose during the campaign, triggered an FEC investigation.
That campaign loan was the reason Guinta was named one of the 10 most corrupt politicians in Congress, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). CREW cited Guinta as he had “fudged the numbers and cooked the books to buy a seat in Congress.”
The organization reported that Guinta had given his campaign loans of $100,000 and $245,000 despite having a $72,000 annual salary as mayor of Manchester and a relatively modest investment portfolio. Guinta made the loans without liquidating any assets.
And on the story goes with Guinta weaving a web of lies for years while the FEC slowly investigated his claims. Now apparently Guinta has settled with the FEC. We’re sure he hopes to move on in his political career and Frank’s wrongdoings will dissolve into the ether of the short American psyche. That might be so but we’re thinking the GOP and their supporters may have other ideas. Calls for him to resign have arisen from nearly every political corner:
Union Leader Editorial staff called for Guinta’s resignation Guinta Must Go and the refrain was repeated earily this week when Joe McQuaid publisher placed on the editorial page:
Ouch, that must hurt!
and Foster’s reports that the big boys aren’t happy either, Boehner Doesn’t Defend Guinta Over Contributions. Then the Concord Monitor weighs in, To Best Serve the State, Guinta Must Step Down.
Oh yes and even the guys back home in the state house aren’t too thrilled about Frankie either, with House Speaker and long-time Republican Shawn Jasper observing, “I believe it would be in the best interests of the people of the first congressional district if he step down from his position in the United States Congress.”
Jeb Bradley, State Senate majority leader chimed in to the chorus telling the NY Times, “I think he’s on a really small island,” Mr. Bradley said. “I think the charges are serious and disturbing and at some point he needs to think about doing what’s better for New Hampshire than himself.”
NH’s largest television news station WMUR said they caught Kelly Ayotte on the phone, “Senator Ayotte, who is expected to face a tough re-election battle next year, has said she told Mr. Guinta by phone that he should step down. “This is a decision he needs to make, but if I were in his position, that’s what I would do.”
But unfortunately, the NH Republican Executive Committee chose to stand by Guinta, ignoring the cries for his resignation saying in a statement released to the press 3 days ago and reported by WMUR,
But the party executive committee, after speaking with Guinta by telephone for about a half-hour on Monday night, parted ways with the four top elected officials. It unanimously adopted a statement that did not call for Guinta’s resignation but instead said that he has acknowledged mistakes, “takes responsibility for them and is taking actions required by the Federal Election Commission.”
“Unless further information comes to light, the executive committee of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee will take no further action,” the committee said.
Frankie went on the tube to blather on about how he was humbled by the committee’s support and he’ll work on making things right, yeah yeah.
The fact remains that citizens of congressional district 1 in New Hampshire are stuck with a hollow man for their representative. Apparently Frankie has no threshold of shame that would cause him to want to resign and live out of the public spotlight.
But that doesn’t mean people can’t fight back. NH Labor News has put together a petition for citizens of the state to register their disgust that a criminal and a liar can stay in office to represent them in Washington. Check out the petition and add your signature!
Petition: Congressman Guinta Should Resign Over FEC Violations
Progressive Action New Hampshire 