Republican Congressman Frank Guinta is facing a fresh obstacle in his quest to keep his seat: The formation of an outside money group to back one of his rivals.
Republican businessman Rich Ashooh is the benefactor of a newly formed super PAC, which can raise unlimited sums of money from individuals. The group's financial backers aren't yet known, but Matt Mowers, a former executive director of the state GOP, is helping run it.
Its creation highlights Guinta's precarious re-election position. The Federal Election Commission found last year that Guinta illegally accepted a $355,000 donation from his parents, and a recent poll shows just 4 percent of likely voters say they would definitely vote to re-elect him. Guinta said the money was his because he contributed to and managed a "family pot" of money.