ALTON, N.H. — U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta addressed a crowd of about 30 on Saturday at his first town hall meeting since the Federal Election Commission concluded that he took $355,000 in illegal campaign donations from his parents.

In a settlement made public in May, the FEC fined the 1st District Republican $15,000 and ordered him to repay his parents. Guinta insists the money belonged to him because for years he contributed to and managed a “family pot” of money.

Guinta was first elected in 2010, lost to Democrat Carol Shea-Porter in 2012, then defeated Shea-Porter last year to take the seat back.

Four protesters stood outside the Gilman Library before Guinta arrived at the event.

During his first campaign, Guinta reported lending himself $355,000 and amended a disclosure form to add a previously unreported bank account worth up to $500,000, prompting questions from his Republican primary rivals and Shea-Porter. For five years, he flatly denied the money was an illegal campaign donation from his parents, but in the settlement agreement, the FEC concluded the money came from his parents’ bank accounts.

Guinta said he contributed to and oversaw a “family pot” of money and that his only mistake was improperly reporting money that was rightfully his. The FEC, however, said his own family contradicted those claims.

Guinta’s sister said she didn’t know the “family pot” existed, and his mother “did not characterize the funds as owned by Rep. Guinta,” the FEC said.

The fallout was swift. The state’s ranking Republican, U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, joined others in the party who said Guinta should resign while the head of the state party said he “has clearly been untruthful” and that she could no longer believe him. Party chairwoman Jennifer Horn stopped short of calling for his resignation but said his credibility had been “irreparably damaged.”

He has said he will run for re-election next year despite prominent Republicans urging him to resign.

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