Richard Ashooh
“Rich Ashooh will challenge Rep. Frank Guinta for 1st District seat”
By Dan Tuohy, New Hampshire Union Leader, May 22, 2016
MANCHESTER - Sometimes, Rich Ashooh said, "You just need to jump into the fray."
Ashooh, a Republican who will officially launch his congressional campaign on Monday, was speaking about motivating factors for his 1st District run.
"What it is in many ways is a reaction, a reaction to problems that I believe are unprecedented in their criticality," he said.
National security, border security, the economy, health care reform, and the debt and deficit are on his mind during an interview with the Union Leader and N.H. Sunday News about some of the priorities in 2016.
He's focused on the debt for a quarter of a century, back to when he was the first state director of the Concord Coalition, which was co-founded by an early mentor, the late U.S. Sen. Warren B. Rudman.
"I think Congress has attempted to do some meaningful things on the budget but we're still in a culture that tolerates debt and deficit in ways that are simply unacceptable for the next generation," Ashooh said.
Ashooh will become the third Republican in the race. U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta, R-NH, is running for re-election, and state Rep. Pam Tucker of Greenland launched her campaign in mid-February. Democrats in the race are former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter of Rochester and Bedford businessman Shawn O'Connor.
Ashooh, a former director of strategy and planning for BAE Systems, is making his second run for Congress. He ran in 2010, and lost in the GOP primary to Guinta, a former Manchester mayor.
Guinta's run for re-election comes a year after the Federal Election Commission's unanimous finding that he broke federal finance laws by accepting more than $350,000 in illegal donations from his parents. He was fined $15,000, which he has paid, and ordered to refund the loan to his parents' account, which he has done. He called it a mistake and apologized to constituents, while insisting he had done nothing wrong because he argues he had an equitable interest in his parents' account. The FEC rejected that claim, and some of New Hampshire's top elected Republican leaders called on Guinta to resign.
Guinta maintained he signed the settlement agreement with the FEC to put the controversy behind him and move on to represent the people of the 1st District.
The illegal donations from his parents actually first came up in 2010, and Ashooh is well aware of the case.
Ashooh, when asked about the controversy as it relates to him challenging Guinta for the GOP nomination, declined to bushwhack into the scandal, other than acknowledging that newspapers' editorial pages concluded the congressman had "lost the trust of the voters."
"That's something he needs to explain," Ashooh said. "I'm not interest in talking about it at all."
It is not unprecedented for a major incumbent official to face a primary challenge, said Wayne MacDonald, a former state GOP chairman.
U.S. Rep. John E. Sununu challenged the U.S. Sen. Bob Smith in 2002, winning a heated primary contest before defeating former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (Shaheen ran again and won in 2008, and was re-elected in 2014.)
The FEC case, however, presents unprecedented circumstances for an incumbent in this state, he said.
MacDonald, who is not supporting a candidate in the 1st District race at this point, said it is unclear how voters will view the controversy and settlement. He said he hopes voters look at Guinta's whole record.
"Frank's worked hard to represent the 1st District," he said. "I guess we'll have to see how it plays out."
Wayne Lesperance, political science professor at New England College in Henniker, said absent much polling on where 1st District GOP voters stand, the race dynamics appear fluid.
"I do think it will be a tight race, particularly with Ashooh in the race," he says. "To the extent there is an anti-Guinta sentiment among voters, having a strong field in the primary may split that vote and help the congressman."
Lesperance does not anticipate other candidates jumping into the GOP field, though there is still time.
The state primary is Sept. 13. The state's candidate filing period runs June 1 to June 10.
Ashooh, about the rematch, said, "New Hampshire loves primaries. And I happen to believe that the reason why we have elections is that incumbency doesn't really matter. This is a time for everybody to look fresh at what their options are. Do I believe I'm a better option for the problems facing us? Absolutely, that's why I'm running."
He said he worries about "the back-sliding of U.S. leadership" in the world, as well as the growth of federal government bureaucracy.
He remains a critic of the Affordable Care Act.
"Opponents of Obamacare, and I am one of them, need to be thinking about health care reform," he said. "I don't just mean health insurance reform, which is what Obamacare is, I mean health care reform needs to change. The reason why Obamacare took root, and the reason why so many people, even those who didn't support Obamacare, are paying attention to this issue, is that the cost of health care is outrageous. So you need to not only deal with how people can get responsible coverage, but you need to be able to deal with the root cause, which is skyrocketing health care costs."
Ashooh, a Manchester native, lives in Bedford. He and his wife Lori have five children, three of whom are in college. He just recently completed a six-month appointment as interim executive director of the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership and Public Service at the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
In 2010, Ashooh said the nation saw a certain answer among voters. He says he was also angry, which motivated him to run for political office.
"What's different now is the anger," he said. "There are two particular candidates who seem to be vessels for the anger. So, whereas before it wasn't tied to any individual, now what I'm seeing is people seeking out certain messengers for that anger. I would say a solid eight years of frustration is coming home to roost."
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"New Hampshire's only House Republican set to lose primary"
By Andrew Cline, aminewswire.com - May 27, 2016
One of only two U.S. House Republicans in New England is in danger of losing his seat in the September primary election, political observers in New Hampshire and Washington say.
Rep. Frank Guinta (R-New Hampshire), has been hobbled by a campaign finance scandal for the past year. The Federal Election Commission released a conciliation agreement in May 2015, signed by Guinta’s attorney in which the second-term lawmaker agreed to repay $355,000 in family loans given illegally to his first campaign for Congress in 2010.
Guinta claimed in 2010, that he had simply failed to disclose a personal bank account. He later claimed the money came from shared family funds, a portion of which were legally his. The FEC agreement clarified that the money constituted an illegal loan to his campaign, which Guinta has since repaid, though he continues to deny any wrongdoing.
In March, it appeared that Guinta would face three primary challengers, leading many New Hampshire political observers to conclude that he stood a decent chance of slipping through a divided field.
But by May, when former New Hampshire Deputy House Speaker Pam Tucker dropped out, Guinta was down to one challenger, former BAE Systems executive Rich Ashooh. Given Guinta’s low approval numbers in recent polls and the taint of scandal, observers say Ashooh is now the favorite to win the primary.
“If Ashooh is at least somewhat competent as a candidate, then he should be able to beat Guinta one on one,” University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala said. “A lot of Republicans are done with Guinta and I don’t think they can be persuaded otherwise given what’s happened.”
Guinta’s chances of winning do not look good, said Kimberly Railey, who covers Congressional races for National Journal.
“Guinta is among one of the most vulnerable House Republicans this cycle,” Railey said. “Now that Ashooh is Guinta's only challenger, he can consolidate the anti-Guinta vote.”
Many New Hampshire Republicans share that view.
“I think Ashooh one-on-one is Guinta’s worst nightmare,” said former state attorney general and long-time Republican fixture Tom Rath. "He’s always had a ceiling, and I think it’s lower than people think. Ashooh can beat Guinta in Manchester. I think he’s a very strong favorite in that race. His only concern between now and when the filing date closes is if someone gets to the right of him, but I don’t think that will happen.”
Railey pointed out that Guinta is unpopular in the district, further enhancing Ashooh’s chances.
“WMUR polls have found Guinta's favorability far underwater, so there's definitely an appetite for a challenger," Railey said. “And in Ashooh, many Republicans see a strong candidate — a super PAC was recently set up to boost him, and is led by a handful of big-name GOP consultants. “
Scala called the current primary situation “the worst-case scenario for Guinta.”
Guinta has proven conventional wisdom wrong before, Jay Ruias, Guinta’s campaign manager, told AMI Newswire. He dismissed the prevailing view of Guinta's vulnerability.
“Since his first campaign, Frank has been the underdog,” Ruais said. “He’s been counted out. And he’s won against crowded and small fields, and outside Super PACs. This year is no different. He’ll win the way he always has: one city, street and voter at a time, listening to Granite Staters and setting an agenda together. He’s an accomplished member of Congress, with lots of grassroots support, and will be successful in the primary against the establishment candidate."
Yet the fundraising figures show that donors are taking a pass on Guinta, suggesting his troubles are more than just beltway buzz. He is hurting for money. FEC documents show that Guinta raised a total of $712,258 from Jan. 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016, and only $247,545 of that came from individual donors.
By contrast, Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin, the only other Republican House member from New England, raised $2,150,898 in the same period, with more than half, $1,102,869, coming from individual donors.
New Hampshire’s other U.S. House member, Rep. Ann Kuster, raised $1,998,976 in the same period, with $1,061,989 from individual donors.
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"Ashooh says Guinta lying about finance scandal"
By Dan Tuohy, New Hampshire Union Leader, July 20, 2016
U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta’s Republican primary challenger is accusing him of lying about his past election campaign finance violations.
“He’s not been truthful on this,” Rich Ashooh said. “He attacked Carol Shea-Porter for attacking him and that makes her right, and we can’t have Carol Shea-Porter being right.”
Ashooh criticized the incumbent during a debate on WGIR-AM radio on Wednesday. He said that the fundraising scandal could hurt the GOP's chances in the general election, and not just in taking on Shea-Porter, the lone Democrat in the race for the 1st Congressional District.
The debate was the first for Ashooh and Guinta. It was also the first time that Ashooh launched such an attack on Guinta related to the scandal.
“This was a situation where Frank Guinta knew exactly what he was doing and he still hasn’t been forthcoming,” Ashooh said. “If you’re right, you fight. You don’t settle. You settle in order to avoid further prosecution. I believe voters sense that. It’s going to be damaging in the general election if these issues persist.”
Guinta said the finance violations came after a six-year-old complaint that he apologized for six years ago. He maintains he is in full compliance with the Federal Election Commission after the violations.
“It’s resolved. It’s done,” he said.
The FEC concluded in May of 2015 that Guinta broke the law by accepting $355,000 in illegal contributions from his parents. Guinta paid a $15,000 fine and agreed in a settlement to refund the $355,000 to the family accounts. He contends he has had an equitable interest in the funds, though the FEC rejected his defense.
The scandal prompted top Republican elected officials last June to call for Guinta to resign. New Hampshire Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Horn did not outright call for the two-term congressman to resign, but she wrote to the GOP executive committee that she lost faith and confidence in Guinta.
“He still has not acknowledge that he has misled his constituents,” Horn wrote at the time. “Regardless of where the truth lies, at least at some point, he has clearly been untruthful, and possibly, at every point.”
Ashooh continued his criticism, saying it’s an issue for voters and that it “says that we’re dealing with politicians who believe they operate by a different set of rules.”
He said Republicans, in order to hold Democrats accountable, need to be “above reproach, and I don’t think that’s the case here.”
New England College sponsored the debate on “New Hampshire Today” with Jack Heath, and in partnership with the Concord Monitor and NECN.
The candidates talked about the need to secure the nation’s borders, crack down on illegal immigration, ensure veterans get the best care possible, strengthen national security, and improve the economy.
Both men are pro-life and support the Second Amendment.
Heath, the moderator, stirred up a back-and-forth on the issue of gun control laws.
Ashooh said background checks are an important part of the law.
“I’m not looking for new laws,” he said. “What I am looking (for) is to make sure that the ones we have work really well and improve with time. So yeah, we need to pay attention to how our background checks work and make sure they are working. Clearly, mistakes are happening.”
He said the FBI did not appear to do well in vetting potential threats, in the case of the terrorist attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. He added that any law should not imperil the rights of law-abiding citizens with guns.
Guinta countered that Ashooh suggested he would support some kind of new gun control.
“What my opponent said earlier is that he would support some sort of gun control,” Guinta said. “So I still haven’t heard either what gun control law he would support, or what gun control law he would author.”
Ashooh never said he would support any new legislation. He said he supports what the country has on the books. He said they should be reviewed and properly enforced.
Guinta, a former Manchester mayor and state representative, portrayed himself as an independent-minded Republican.
“It’s no secret the establishment is not a friend of mine,” he said. “I don’t care about that. I’m not looking to appease the establishment. I’m looking to represent the people of my district. The people who are hurting each and every day because of this economy.”
Ashooh, of Bedford, is a former BAE Systems executive and past interim director of the Warren B. Rudman Center at UNH School of Law. He ran for the 1st District in 2010, the year Guinta first won election to the seat. He said he was motivated to run because of the economy and national security.
Guinta challenged Ashooh to cite one instance in which he disagreed with his voting record.
“It’s not about votes,” Ashooh responded. “Look, anybody can show up and click the card. I think it’s about leadership. The fact is that voters are upset because they don’t see the kind of change that we need to see on lots of issues, certainly immigration, certainly the economy which should be surging and it’s not. But on national security, on the world stage, global leadership has been ceded by the U.S. to others, in particular Russia and Iran in the Middle East, and we simply can’t have that.”
Guinta presented himself as a battle-tested candidate who defeated Shea-Porter twice, in 2010 and in 2014. “I’m the only Republican to beat Carol Shea-Porter,” he said. “That’s important for Republican primary voters to understand.”
dtuohy@unionleader.com
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“Challenger Rich Ashooh takes aim at Guinta's finances, congressional record”
By Dan Tuohy, New Hampshire Union Leader, August 4, 2016
Congressional hopeful Rich Ashooh said the 1st District needs “to elect the right kind of Republican,” a dig at incumbent Frank Guinta, whom he likened to a do-nothing congressman.
“He sat on the Budget Committee and we haven’t had a balanced budget,” Ashooh said. “He sat on Financial Services, yet he has his own financial issues and in fact is in a position to regulate people that we expect the highest level of behavior from, and yet he has his own issues.”
Ashooh, in an interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader on Wednesday, said voters should be concerned about Guinta’s campaign finance scandal, which the two-term congressman settled last spring. The Federal Election Commission concluded he violated election finance law by accepting $355,000 in illegal contributions from his parents’ accounts. The FEC fined Guinta $15,000 and ordered him to repay the $355,000.
Guinta, who has completed the terms of the settlement, apologized for what he said was a reporting error. He maintains he had an equitable interest in the family fund, though the FEC rejected that defense.
“The problem is that he’s not being forthcoming,” Ashooh said. “It’s hard to take the Democrats to task for their own ethical issues if we as Republicans don’t have our own house in order, and in the case of the current incumbent, we don’t.”
The FEC scandal is not why he’s running for Congress, according to Ashooh, who also ran for the seat in 2010, when Guinta won his first term.
Ashooh, of Bedford, is a former BAE Systems executive and past interim director of the Warren B. Rudman Center at the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
Asked to name where he and Guinta differed on the issues, Ashooh said he disagreed with the incumbent on free trade.
“He voted for ‘fast track’ and I wouldn’t have done that,” he said, referring to Trade Promotion Authority.
Earlier Wednesday, Guinta announced his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade pact he said would “kill good jobs.”
Ashooh said Congress should not have given President Barack Obama “fast track” negotiating approval for trade, such as the TPP. Congress must have greater involvement to ensure trade deals are good for America, he said.
“Unfortunately, now that it’s done and their only choice is yes or no, I would vote to approve,” Ashooh said in further explaining his position. “TPP is not as good as it should be, but in this case an imperfect trade deal is better than not having any trade deal.”
Guinta, in a statement responding to Ashooh on trade, said Ashooh is wrong that Trade Promotion Authority cedes Congress’ authority to the President. “For any trade agreement, TPA binds the President to Congress’ specific requests, allowing the people’s representatives to reject any agreement that fails to meet high standards of transparency,” Guinta said. “Congress is a partner in negotiations. Although I support free and fair trade, I oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the real threat to American workers.”
Former U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, the lone Democrat in the race, issued a statement accusing Guinta of trying to deceive voters on the issue. She said Guinta supported the “fast track” authority that effectively promoted the TPP.
With the state primary on Sept. 13, Guinta is presenting himself to voters as a battle-tested Republican who can defeat Shea-Porter in the general election.
Ashooh, in the interview, was asked to respond to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s comments critical of Gold Star parents whose Muslim U.S. soldier son was killed in action in Iraq. He said he is still waiting for an explanation for Trump’s comment last summer that questioned John McCain’s credentials as a war hero because he was shot down during the Vietnam War and held as a prisoner of war for five and a half years.
“My support is contingent on him doing a better job than he’s been doing,” Ashooh said. “Now that he’s the nominee, I have certain expectations of him and, quite frankly, I need to see him meet those expectations, and right now he’s not.”
Ashooh said Trump must do a better job of inspiring voters. Still, he underscored his support for his party’s nominee and the need to shake up the establishment to get things done in Washington.
In the interview, Ashooh, who is pro-life, said he would be a fiscal conservative in the mold of the late Senator Rudman, for whom he worked in the 1980s. He promised to work to tackle government bureaucracy, focus on tax relief, and target over-regulation.
“We’re not going to be able to cut our way out of this. We’re going to have to grow our way out of it,” he said of the $19 trillion national debt.
He said Social Security reform is necessary because the system was built for another, earlier time. Any proposal — he opposes the idea of privatizing it — must preserve benefits and reflect the reality of the modern workforce, with people working longer, he said.
Ashooh opposes any proposed gun control legislation, saying the U.S. must be better at enforcing current laws. “The Second Amendment keeps us safe and we don’t want to mess with that,” he said.
He said the U.S. should not take any option off the table to confront and defeat radical Islamic terrorism, including the possibility of deploying more ground troops in certain situations in the Middle East. A key component is to tackle the ideology of Islamic State terrorists, he said.
On illegal immigration, Ashooh said America still needs to secure its borders. He said he supports targeting sanctuary cities and employers who illegally hire undocumented workers.
dtuohy@unionleader.com
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"Frank’s frivolous free trade flip-flop"
NH Union Leader, Editorial, August 4, 2016
Much like Hillary Clinton, Frank Guinta was for free trade agreements before he was against them.
Guinta yesterday came out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, reversing years of support for free trade.
In 2011, Guinta voted for trade deals with Colombia, Panama and Korea, saying “these agreements open markets for U.S. manufacturing, agriculture, and service industries and will immediately create New Hampshire jobs.”
Last year, Guinta voted to give the Obama administration fast-track authority to negotiate TPP, and sent a letter with several House colleagues urging President Obama to get the deal done.
Guinta’s letter read, “There is great potential in the negotiations now underway for the Trans-Pacific Partnership” and other trade deals, and argued “expanding trade and exports will increase economic growth and create jobs across the country.”
Having pushed the Obama administration to negotiate TPP, Guinta has flip-flopped against the deal Obama brought back. Why did Guinta think we’d get a deal significantly different from the free trade agreements he supported five years ago?
TPP is different in one key respect. It would greatly strengthen American clout across the Pacific as China attempts to dominate the region.
Guinta would throw away America’s economic and diplomatic interests. This is panicked pandering to protectionism. The only job Guinta cares about protecting is his own.
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"Frank's fibs: Trying to smear Ashooh"
NH Union Leader, Editorial, August 17, 2016
If Frank Guinta had any credibility left to burn, his latest campaign mailer would have caught fire.
Having ruined his own reputation, Guinta is now so desperate to hang on to his congressional seat that he’s trying to ruin Rich Ashooh’s good name as well.
Guinta mailed out a flyer attacking Ashooh as a big spending liberal who supported Gov. John Lynch’s LLC tax, a 50-cent gas tax increase, and a tuition hike for the University System of New Hampshire.
But if you actually follow the footnotes to see how Guinta backs up these claims, they all disappear.
There’s no evidence that Ashooh ever supported the tax on limited liability companies. Guinta relies on a blog post from an anonymous source from the 2010 campaign.
The Concord Coalition proposed a gas tax hike in 1993. But Ashooh was running the state chapter, not the national organization that wrote the plan. And Ashooh voted against the tuition increase while a member of the USNH Board of Trustees.
At the Concord Coalition, the Josiah Bartlett Center and in his previous run for Congress, Ashooh has been a dedicated, thoughtful fiscal conservative. He would be a reliable tax fighter in Congress.
We asked Guinta’s campaign if it had any better evidence to support this groundless attack. The Guinta campaign failed to provide any evidence supporting its mailer but campaign manager Jay Ruais tells the Union Leader that Ashooh failed to “publicly oppose any one of those measures.”
As Americans contemplate a choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, maybe honesty doesn’t matter any more. Frank Guinta is counting on you not to care.
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"Ashooh for Congress: Raising the bar in District 1"
NH Union Leader, Editorial, August 30, 2016
Republicans in New Hampshire First Congressional District can raise the bar on September 13 [2016] by nominating Rich Ashooh for Congress.
The Bedford Republican offers an impressive blend of free-market thinking, real world business experience, and political savvy.
Ashooh began his professional life working for Sens. Gordon Humphrey and Warren Rudman, who shared a commitment to fiscal responsibility. He moved back to New Hampshire to head up the state chapter of the Concord Coalition, focusing attention on the nation’s growing entitlement and debt crisis. He served a President of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, helping built it into the Granite State’s leading voice for fiscal sanity. The need to bring such ideas back to our federal government has only grown more acute over the years.
Ashooh was a senior executive for Sanders, which then became BAE Systems, New Hampshire’s largest manufacturing employer. He’s been a leader in countless business, civic and charitable groups across New Hampshire.
Ashooh is also refreshing change from the anger and cynicism of modern-day politics. He’s just as frustrated with our broken government as the rest of us, but refuses to give up. His relentless optimism and energy would serve him, and us, well in Washington.
Voters dreading yet another rematch between Frank Guinta and Carol Shea-Porter can give us all a better choice, and pick Rich Ashooh for Congress in the First District.
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"Guinta's finances, Ashooh's lobbying the focus of attacks in TV debate"
By Kevin Landrigan, New Hampshire Union Leader, September 1, 2016
CONCORD — Republican congressional challenger Rich Ashooh of Bedford took the gloves off Thursday night, accusing Congressman Frank Guinta of being guilty of the "largest scandal" involving campaign finances in New Hampshire history.
"The fact of the matter is Frank has broken the law; he accepted thousands of dollars in illegal campaign donations," Ashooh, 52, said during the WBIN-TV televised debate for the First Congressional District GOP primary.
"This is the largest scandal of campaign finance issues we have had in the history of New Hampshire," Ashooh said.
In May 2015, Guinta reached a settlement with the Federal Election Commission regarding a $355,000 loan to his 2010 congressional campaign from his parents. He was fined $15,000 and agreed to pay the money back.
Guinta, 45, accused Ashooh of dredging up the settlement to try to tarnish him.
"The reality is this is my money. I have complied with the agreement the FEC and I entered into, repaying the loan," Guinta said.
Ashooh accused Guinta of deliberately delaying filing of a personal financial disclosure to conceal until late in this race a new, six-figure bank account. Ashooh said that appears to be the parents’ loan money Guinta now claims as his own.
"I know now what he has been hiding — the same money he used in the first place has resurfaced," Ashooh said.
Guinta said all his personal finances are his own.
"It is no secret that I am not a friend of the establishment in this state. I don’t go along to get along," Guinta said. "I focus on my constituents in my district.
"The reality is this is a settled matter. No amount of political attacks on me or my family is going to change that."
Guinta went on the offensive, charging that Ashooh said in 2010 that al Qaeda and the Taliban were not a terrorist threat.
"All I am doing is amplifying my opponent’s own words. He said that al Qaeda and the Taliban are not an Islamic threat," Guinta said. "These are his words."
Ashooh said he spent 20 years working for BAE Systems, getting military hardware for the fight against terrorism into the hands of the U.S. military.
"Calling me soft on terrorism simply isn’t true. There is only one person on this stage who has done something about terrorism and it’s me," Ashooh said.
Guinta repeatedly pressed Ashooh to admit he’d been a Capitol Hill lobbyist.
"I am proud to have worked with our government to protect our military," Ashooh answered.
The winner of the Sept. 13 primary will face former Democratic congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter on Nov. 8.
Guinta has beaten Shea-Porter twice, but lost to her in 2012.
Ashooh and Guinta meet next Friday at 7 p.m. on WMUR-TV in a debate series co-sponsored with the New Hampshire Union Leader.
klandrigan@unionleader.com
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"Some NH candidates receive big contributions from special interest PACs"
WMUR.com finds PAC giving totals about $7 million to US Senate, House candidates
By John DiStaso, WMUR NH News, September 5, 2016
U.S. House 1st District
U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta
Republican incumbent Guinta’s most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission shows that he has so far collected $1,003,450 in contributions, with $549,676 – or
nearly 55 percent – coming from PACs.
OpenSecrets.org shows that most of Guinta’s PAC contributions have come from leadership PACs of other GOP members of Congress, as well as from the insurance, securities and investment, and real estate industries.
He has also received $2,000 from the Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal Pac; $5,000 from the National Cable and Telecommunications PAC; $2,500 from the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America PAC; and $1,000 from Citigroup, Inc. PAC.
Rich Ashooh
Republican 1st District challenger Ashooh so far has received $307,315 in total campaign contributions, with $7,500 – or 2.4 percent -- from PACs.
The Invest in a Strong and Secure America PAC, the leadership PAC of veteran U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa of California – contributed $6,000. Ashooh also received $1,000 from the Arab American Leadership Council PAC.
Former U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter
The Democratic former congresswoman, hoping to regain the seat she lost to Guinta in 2014, has so far received $864,701 in total contributions, including $248,194 – or nearly 29 percent – from PACs.
A substantial portion of her PAC contributions are from labor unions. Her latest report shows that she has received so far in the campaign $10,000 from the United Food and Commercial Workers; $7,500 from PACs of the Communications Workers of America; $5,000 from the American Federation of Government Employees and $5,000 from the American Postal Workers Union.
Shea-Porter has also received contributions from the leadership PACs of numerous Democratic members of Congress, including $10,000 from House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer’s AmeriPAC. Hoyer has also contributed $4,000 to Shea-Porter from his Hoyer for Congress campaign committee.
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"Guinta firing filthy attacks against Ashooh"
NH Union Leader, Letter to the Editor, September 11, 2016
To the Editor: Charles Arlinghaus' recent column in the Union Leader was the catalyst for this letter, exhorting us to call out liars and hold them accountable for their contemptible behavior. As a resident of New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District, I daily receive glossy attacks from Frank Guinta against Rich Ashooh.
Guinta's attacks are not mere lies; they are a reprehensible attempt to smear Rich with wild accusations that are laughable to anyone who knows Rich. But it is difficult to laugh about the mud Frank is slinging. Far from smearing Rich,
Frank Guinta is exposing his own unscrupulous character. I've voted for Frank for mayor and for Congress. I once thought he was a man of principle. I was mistaken.
In the interest of full disclosure, Rich is my brother-in-law. That relationship has led to many political conversations. In fact, I have expressed concern about Rich jumping into the cesspool of Washington politics. Why would he want to do this? The answer speaks to who Rich Ashooh is: If not him, who? If not now, when?
Father of five wonderful children, Rich is motivated by the future of our country. While I worry for him, I am confident that his integrity, principles and character are safe, even when he's elected as our Congressman. Don't believe the glossy lies perpetrated by a clearly desperate incumbent. Rich Ashooh is a man we can trust, and whom we will be proud to have representing us.
GAIL FISHER
Manchester
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"Ashooh for Congress: We deserve better, NH"
NH Union Leader, Editorial, September 12, 2016
If we really get the government we deserve, one has to wonder what calamity New Hampshire voters committed to get stuck with Frank Guinta and Carol Shea-Porter for the last 10 years.
Voters have been trading the 1st Congressional District seats between these two hacks for a decade, and there’s a real danger that Guinta will face off against Shea-Porter for a fourth consecutive election in November.
The only way to avoid such a depressing re-re-rematch would be for Republicans to nominate Rich Ashooh on Tuesday.
Ashooh is well known in New Hampshire business and political circles. He is an experienced, thoughtful conservative, and gives Republicans their best chance to defeat Shea-Porter in November.
Guinta is desperate to hang on to his job. He’s plastering the district with disgusting, dishonest fliers accusing Ashooh of things he simply never did. Guinta doesn’t care that he’s lying. He has more campaign cash than Ashooh (Thanks, Mom!) and is trying to drown his challenger in a tsunami of misleading mud.
Don’t believe it. As your congressman, Rich Ashooh would fight for balanced budget, lower taxes, and a strong national defense. He speaks confidently about America’s place in the world, and the need to prevent Iran from ever building a nuclear weapon.
Guinta has disgraced himself, and our state. He won’t hold himself accountable for his shameful actions. It’s up to you. Do you deserve better?
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"'Character' at issue as Guinta, Ashooh spar"
By Dan Tuohy, New Hampshire Union Leader, September 9, 2016
U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta opened Friday night’s 1st Congressional District GOP primary debate by mentioning his own campaign finance violations and complaining that Republican rival Rich Ashooh is using it to attack him.
Seconds into the televised debate, he told viewers that Ashooh “will try to impugn my integrity and my character, personally attack me and my family, and tell you that I haven’t done anything for the state of New Hampshire.”
Guinta had little to say about the finance violations and in fact dodged the question regarding a 2014 WMUR-TV video clip shown in which
he lied about the Federal Election Commission clearing him of any wrongdoing in the case that began in 2010.
The FEC concluded in 2015 that
Guinta broke federal election laws by accepting $355,000 in illegal loans from his parents. He claims the money was his, though the FEC rejected his argument.
Ashooh, who ran against Guinta in 2010, called it a “disgrace.”
“Our congressman, the person representing us,
broke the law and lied about it,” he said. “If you can’t trust somebody about their finances, how do you trust them about anything?”
Ashooh said Guinta’s finance scandal jeopardizes a GOP seat with former U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, a Democrat, running again this year.
In a counter-punch, Guinta responded, “I’m the only Republican in New Hampshire who has beat Carol Shea-Porter not once, but twice.”
Guinta, a two-term congressman, former Manchester mayor and state representative, brushed aside Ashooh’s comments that he is
a career politician looking for another taxpayer-funded paycheck. He also dismissed the
finance law-breaking as a “six-year-old complaint that was resolved a year and a half ago.”
The $355,000 in loans from an account in his parents’ names remains at issue, however. Guinta, in a delayed financial disclosure filed two weeks ago, reported the funds as his own personal assets. That led to an updated FEC complaint filed last month by Fergus Cullen, a former state party chairman, who argues that Guinta is incorrect when he says he is in full compliance with the FEC.
While Guinta said he wanted to talk about issues that matter to New Hampshire’s 1st District, he first brought up his campaign’s financial problems during the debate, which was co-sponsored by WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader, in partnership with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. It is the final debate before the state primary Tuesday.
Ashooh was happy to respond. “Trust and integrity matter in politics,” he said.
Guinta fired back, calling
Ashooh a Washington lobbyist, because of Ashooh’s work for BAE Systems, a defense contractor that is one of New Hampshire’s largest employers. Ashooh, of Bedford, said he was proud of his work for the manufacturer, including supporting U.S. military men and women, and first responders.
A long-time lobbyist is in no position to be a change agent, Guinta argued.
Guinta and Ashooh agreed on several fronts, including fighting for a balanced budget and securing the nation’s borders.
Both candidates are pro-life and outspoken advocates for the Second Amendment. Neither man said they support a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s “Citizen United” decision. Both cited a need for reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and to expand care for veterans in New Hampshire, which does not have a full-service VA hospital.
Ashooh warned of federal overreach in terms of states working to protect the environment. Guinta highlighted his opposition to EPA regulations, particularly for communities around the Great Bay estuary.
“I’m not sure where my opponent disagrees with me on public policy,” Guinta said at one point.
Guinta pointed to his advocacy for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, legislation to address the opioid and heroin epidemic, and his work with U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, to call attention to the public health crisis.
He referred to himself as an independent conservative, and a Republican outside of the party establishment. “I’m the guy who’s the outsider who’s trying to fight for families,” he said.
Guinta defended his endorsement of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, calling himself a “team player.”
“‘The team’ that Frank Guinta was part of called for his resignation,” Ashooh said. “Every major Republican in the state called for his resignation. That is not being a team player.”
Where Guinta has shown up at Trump events in the state, Ashooh has kept his distance. Ashooh has said he supports the nominee, but will focus on his own campaign.
Guinta said he would support Ashooh, should he win the GOP primary Tuesday.
Ashooh hedged.
“Trust and integrity matter. They matter to me. It’s top of my list,” he said. “So, if Frank were to admit that he broke the law, admit that he lied about it, and apologize to the voters, then I’d consider supporting him.”
Guinta did not admit breaking the law — for which he paid a $15,000 fine last year. He did not acknowledge any lies before Ashooh. He did not apologize. He replied instead with part of his opening statement. He said that he was right that Ashooh would try to “impugn my integrity and character, attack me personally and my family, and he’s proven me right.”
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"Frank Guinta wins 1st CD race as Rich Ashooh bows out"
By Dan Tuohy, New Hampshire Union Leader, September 14, 2016
UPDATE, 11 a.m.: Businessman Rich Ashooh conceded the 1st Congressional District Republican primary race early Wednesday to incumbent Frank Guinta. The contest was too close to call Tuesday night.
"Despite the still close margin, I am conceding this race to my opponent so that the Republican ticket can immediately position itself for a victory in November," Ashooh said in a statement.
Guinta clung to a lead of about 650 votes with 96.5 percent of the ballots having been counted as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to Politico.com.
Guinta told reporters he has no hard feelings left over from certain GOP leaders who called on him to resign over his campaign finance violations.
Speaking to the party's "unity breakfast" at Bedford Village Inn on Wednesday morning, he acknowledged the rough campaign season.
"We're a family and families sometimes have disagreements, have discussions, and in our party it's called a primary," Guinta said. "I've been through several - this was a tough one."
Guinta then offered praise for Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, and House Speaker Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson, both of whom once encouraged Guinta to step aside for the good of the party. He also thanked Ashooh for a spirited campaign.
Guinta said he is looking forward to facing off against Democrat former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter of Rochester and independent Shawn O'Connor of Bedford. "They're trying to out-liberalize each other in this campaign," he said.
In his concession statement, Ashooh acknowledged the tight race and thanked his supporters.
"Words are inadequate to capture the depth of gratitude and affection I have for those who tirelessly and passionately supported my campaign. I will be forever grateful for their efforts to make New Hampshire and the country a better place," he said.
This will be the fourth time Guinta faces Shea-Porter of Rochester in a general election.
U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta and Rich Ashooh traded early leads in their Republican primary rematch.
As results continued to trickle in early Wednesday from towns and cities in the 1st Congressional District, Guinta clung to a lead of about 650 votes with 96.5 percent of the ballots having been counted as of 6 a.m., according to Politico.com.
Early voting tabulations looked promising for Ashooh. Guinta, the former Manchester mayor, lost his home city by about 500 votes, while Ashooh won his hometown of Bedford by 885 votes.
Ashooh, addressing his supporters shortly before 11 p.m., said he expected a late night.
“There are still two cities and more than 10 towns,” he said. “It’s too close to call.”
A second-time candidate for this seat who lost to Guinta in 2010, Ashooh thanked supporters for their vote of confidence.
“You have given us the gift of your support and your friendship but I wish I could give you the gift of clarity,” Ashooh, 52, said with a smile.
Meanwhile across the city at his party, Guinta sounded confident even as the race tightened after 11 pm.
“We hope to have good news in the next couple of hours,” Guinta said.
Guinta rejected the notion he could lose when the final votes are counted.
”We are not looking at it that way; we expect to win tonight and go on for the next seven weeks and for the next two years,” Guinta said.
But the two-term Congressman Guinta admitted his campaign finance scandal and the sharp criticism he took for false statements made on the controversy may have hurt him.
“I am sure it is on some peoples’ minds, but the reality is that was a resolved issue from a year and a half ago,” Guinta added.
The winner faces Democrat Carol Shea-Porter of Rochester in the Nov. 8 general election. If Guinta pulls it off, it will be the fourth general election race against Shea-Porter.
Ashooh, a former BAE Systems executive, pinned his campaign hopes on voters looking for a new face after Guinta’s campaign finance violations.
Ashooh said he was running to give Granite Staters in the 1st Congressional District a fresh choice. He used Guinta’s election finance troubles as a battering ram on the campaign trail, regularly questioning Guinta’s honesty and integrity.
The Federal Election Commission ruled last year that
Guinta broke election finance laws by accepting $355,000 in illegal donations from his parents in 2010. In the primary race that year, Ashooh was one of a handful of Republicans defeated at the hands of Guinta.
Guinta lost some early establishment support over his finance violations. Top elected Republicans urged him to resign. The state GOP chairwoman, Jennifer Horn, wrote a letter saying she had lost trust in Guinta.
Guinta soldiered on, however, telling voters that his FEC case was behind him. He effectively targeted his supporters while portraying himself as the candidate with a record of beating Shea-Porter.
Guinta’s supporters, such as former state Rep. Fran Wendelboe of New Hampton, were expecting a tight race.
“I knew it was going to be close,” she said.
By law, recount requests must be received by the Secretary of State’s office by 5 p.m. on Friday.
Ashooh won over some familiar GOP leaders, including GOP activists Douglas and Stella Scamman, and former national committeewomen Phyllis Woods and Ruth Griffin.
Guinta, 45, a father of two, is a former state representative and insurance consultant. He overcame anemic fundraising earlier this election cycle, following the FEC finding he broke election finance laws.
He relied on political committees to pick up the slack. Of nearly $1 million in receipts reported since January 2015, Guinta pocketed $539,676, or about 55 percent of the total, from committees.
Ashooh, 52, a father of five, cut his political teeth working for former U.S. Sen. Gordon Humphrey, R-NH, not long after he graduated from the University of New Hampshire.
He then become a senior aide to the late U.S. Sen. Warren B. Rudman, R-NH, and a director of the state chapter of the Concord Coalition. He was most recently interim director of the Warren B. Rudman Center at UNH School of Law.
Michael Callis of Conway, Jamieson Hale Gradert of East Hampstead, and Robert Risley of Sanbornton were lesser-known candidates on the GOP ballot in the 1st District.
The general election ballot will also see three third-party candidates: Independent Brendan Kelly of Seabrook, Libertarian Robert Lombardo of Derry, and Independent Shawn O’Connor of Bedford.
dtuohy@unionleader.com
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“Ashooh Tapped for Commerce Role in Trump Administration”
By Casey McDermott – nhpr.org - May 21, 2017
The Trump administration has tapped former 1st District Congressional candidate Rich Ashooh to be its new assistant secretary of commerce, with a focus on exports.
Announcing the nomination Friday, the Trump administration noted Ashooh’s role as Director of Economic Partnerships at UNH, and his past experience working as a top executive with defense companies Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems.
Ashooh, who lives in Bedford, narrowly lost last year’s Republican Congressional primary to incumbent Congressman Frank Guinta, who then went on to lose in the general election.
Ashooh did not openly endorse Trump during his election last year but told media he intended to vote for the Republican nominee.
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