AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Gov. Rick Perry’s re-election campaign was paying a Republican operative who helped get the Green Party on the Texas ballot.
The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday on campaign finance reports showing the campaign paid Stuart Moss for mileage while he was doing political research in November. That’s the same time he helped the Green Party field candidates.
Democrats say liberal Green Party candidates could help Perry by siphoning votes away from Democrat Bill White. The Texas Democratic Party has sued the Green Party to identify the source of $532,000 that bankrolled the petition drive that made it possible for the third party to get candidates on the November ballot.
Perry spokesman Mark Miner says the governor’s campaign was not involved in the Green Party petition drive.