Watchdog calls for ethics investigation of embattled NH lawmaker

A watchdog group is calling for a congressional ethics investigation into the financial disclosures of embattled Rep. Frank Guinta after he settled with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on campaign finance violations.

Guinta (R-N.H.) agreed to pay a fine and return more than $350,000 to his parents after the FEC ruled he received the money as an illegal contribution. The lawmaker says the money was always his to spend as part of a joint family account, and that he only signed the agreement with the FEC to move past the allegations. He has also apologized for not previously disclosing the existence of the account.

{mosads}Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington claims that Guinta played it both ways with the alleged family account and wants the independent Office of Congressional Ethics to look into the allegations.

“Rep. Guinta wants to have his cake and eat it too,” CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement.

“When the FEC is investigating whether he received an illegal contribution, he insists the money is his. When it comes time to report that money to the Ethics Committee, he says he doesn’t have to report those funds because they aren’t in his name. Those claims can’t both be right.”

The group accuses Guinta of only reporting the existence of the fund on one of his financial disclosure forms while in Congress despite telling the FEC that the money in that account was partly his.

Guinta’s spokesman, Jay Ruais, criticized CREW in a statement to The Hill, where he accused the group of having partisan motivations, and said that the congressman will continue to focus “working on behalf” of his constituents.

“This is a well-known partisan organization led and funded by individuals whose mission is to attack, demean and destroy republicans for political purposes,” he said.

CREW had been criticized by Republicans as having a liberal bent, and Democratic operative David Brock has served as the group’s chairman since 2014. 

It’s illegal to lie on congressional financial disclosures, but lawmakers are allowed to amend any errors once they learn of them. A 2011 report from Roll Call showed significant errors in congressional financial disclosures and that lawmakers regularly file amendments to their forms in order to fix those errors.

The Office of Congressional Ethics refers cases to the Ethics Committee for potential enforcement. But the committee has faced criticism for rarely punishing lawmakers.

Guinta’s financial woes have prompted a call from Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) for him to resign and a rebuke from the state’s Republican Party.

— This story was updated at 5:50 p.m.