Bell v Perry Redux
2006 Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell is suing Governor Rick Perry's campaign and the Republican Governors Association for a total of $4 million in damages.
Bell's suit alleges that a total of $1 million in campaign money that the RGA gave Perry in the waning days of last year's election was in violation of Texas campaign regulations and financial reporting laws. It alleges RGA wasn't legally qualified to contribute to a Texas political campaign and has filed no reports with the Texas Ethics Commission.
Bell says the effect of what Perry's spokesman calls "a simple paperwork filing error" is that the real source of the $1 million was concealed. Bell says the nation's largest political donor, Houston homebuilder Bob Perry gave the money and it was simply funneled through RGA's 527.
"It appears that it takes suits like this one to disclose what is really going on to fund these Republican campaigns," Bell said in a statement. Perry's spokesman is firing back.
“This stunt is nothing but sour grapes because Chris Bell asked Gov. Perry for preferential treatment by giving him a state contract, and Gov. Perry refused to respond," said Perry spokesman Robert Black. "Chris Bell and his trial lawyer buddies must have been waiting for any opportunity to file a frivolous lawsuit in retaliation for not getting a state contract and they found it in a simple paperwork filing error."
Black even provided a January letter from Bell to Perry, offering his lobbying services, which apparently Perry didn't take him up on:
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