Frank Guinta appeared on The Emily Rooney Show on WBUR last Monday. As Carol Shea Porter noted in a press release yesterday, he hasn't been on the public radio here in NH in a long, long time:
"Congressman Frank Guinta refuses to go on NH public radio's The Exchange, but he went on The Emily Rooney Show on Boston Public Radio station, WGBH, on Monday to admit that his vote for defense cuts put the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in danger. Congressman Guinta said, 'But the additional reduction...could very likely put the shipyard in Portsmouth in jeopardy...' Mr. Guinta should go on NH radio and admit to NH listeners that his defense cuts put the Shipyard in jeopardy."
Now why would Frank Guinta appear on a Boston radio station, but not on the Exchange here in NH? It isn't that he hasn't been asked, because he has, according to NHPR, repeatedly. Might it be because of this piece that aired in October, 2010?
Briefly, by June of this year, Frank Guinta had loaned his campaign 245 thousand dollars. His run for the GOP nomination was challenged by a well-heeled businessman who was able to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into HIS campaign.
A reporter noted Guinta’s personal donation and about ten days later, Guinta amended his financial disclosure statement. The big change was the appearance of an account at the Bank of America worth between a quarter and half a million dollars.
Guinta explained that the disclosure rules are convoluted, but that once he saw his mistake he fixed it. Above all, he said, the money was his.
Is Frank Guinta avoiding talking to NHPR because he might be asked again about his "mystery money?" Only Frank knows the answer to that question. But I would bet there are a lot of NH voters who would really like to know. I for one would like to know why the funds never showed up on his disclosure forms while he was mayor of Manchester either.