Jun
21
Written by:
Andy Hogue
6/21/2010 4:24 PM
The Republican Party of Texas responded to a Dallas Morning News story from Thursday in which Rep. Linda Harper-Brown was reported to have accepted perks from a red light camera contractor for whom her husband works -- e.g. a Mercedes SUV owned by the contractor on which she placed state license plates.
The response stopped short of sticking up for Harper-Brown's actions, however.
The RPT said the situation is the result of a smear attack by Matt Angle, a D.C.-based political strategist, via the Texas Values in Action Coalition.
"Matt Angle pledged to take the Texas House by this year, and from the looks of things his approaching failure is making him desperate," said RPT Spokesman Bryan Preston. "The fact is, the Texas Democrats know the people of Texas won't support them so they're resorting to innuendo and false smears on great conservative Republicans like state Rep. Linda Harper Brown. This is base partisan politics, pure and simple."
The RPT said the Texas Values in Action Coalition is funded in large-part by Steve Mostyn, president of the Texas Trial Lawyer Association.
As far as a response from Harper-Brown herself, she released this video. She said that the accusations against her were levied "without a lick of proof" and that she and her husband "comply fully with the law," but did not address the facts in much detail.