Second Bachmann aide to say Iowa aide wrongly paid
A second Iowa campaign adviser to Republican former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann says the Minnesota congresswoman improperly paid an Iowa state senator to work on her 2012 campaign in the months before last year's Iowa caucuses.
Earlier this year, former Bachmann campaign staffer Peter Waldron filed a complaint with the Iowa Senate, alleging that her presidential campaign had made improper payments to Iowa State Sen. Kent Sorenson. State ethics rules prohibit such payments.
Now, Andy Parrish, Bachmann's former chief of staff and longtime aide, will back up those complaints in an affidavit that will be filed next week, according to Parrish's lawyer John Gilmore.
"There will be emails documenting what happened, and what happened will comport with the representations Mr. Waldron has made both publicly and privately," said Gilmore.
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Parrish was abruptly dismissed by Bachmann last year but Gilmore says Parrish holds no ill will towards his former boss and actively supports her re-election.
Sorenson Thursday said he was never paid.
Bachmann's attorney William McGinley released a statement denying any wrongdoing.
"As we have previously stated, the campaign denies that it has engaged in any inappropriate activities. We are confident that any fair and objective review of the record will demonstrate that neither the Campaign nor Congresswoman Bachmann engaged in any wrongdoing."
Bachmann herself said last week she is "convinced" she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
