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Updated at 1:15 pm: Revised to add additional statements from Cruz and O & # 39; Rourke
FORT WORTH – Senator Ted Cruz on Friday accused Representative Beto O. Rourke of allowing his aides to use donations from the campaign to help Central American migrants heading north via the Mexico in an alleged caravan.
Such misuse could violate the federal campaign law. Mr. O. Rourke 's campaign refuted the allegation and told the Texas Tribune that staff members had decided to use campaign funds to donate medical supplies. worth less than US $ 300 to a non-profit organization in El Paso and that the contributions would be properly declared.
Cruz based his accusations on a video under cover of Project Veritas, a right-wing group with a vivid history of infiltration of organizations and liberal campaigns and the use of selective – and questionable – amendments to allege wrongdoing.
Cruz mentioned the video while campaigning in Fort Worth. He told a crowd of about 300 people that "a video of his campaign staff was broken this morning to take money out of the campaign and apparently use it for the to give people coming here illegally ".
According to a statement from the campaign O & # 39; Rourke, Cruz had "shamefully and falsely suggested" that the campaign O & # 39; Rourke had used campaign funds to fund the caravan that is still hundreds of miles away from the American border.
"Ted Cruz is pushing fear and paranoia because he wants to divide and deceive the Texans four days before this election," said O & # Rourke. "We should bring people together and define ourselves not by those who scare us but by what we want to achieve."
Cruz, interviewed after his rally in Fort Worth about his views on the militant group's video, said, "I do not know, I watched the video this morning, it certainly seems worrying. Action by several members of the campaign O. Rourke, staff admitting to having used campaign funds to support illegal immigrants at first glance, describing how to file false reports with the FEC and claiming that this money was being used for campaign events, volunteers, and they were making fun of the person will know that it was neither for the volunteers nor for the campaign staff but instead, he was diverted to the other side. other uses.
"I guess this video will raise a lot of questions that O & # 39; Rourke should answer, I think," he said.
After a rally in Lewisville, O 'Rourke said the attacks were unfounded and that it was a scare tactic.
"This is part of an effort to stoke fear and worry about immigrants, asylum seekers," said O. Rourke. "To my knowledge, and we are examining this issue, we have spent money on wipes, diapers and baby water for women and children who desperately needed it."
"We are looking at this, but anyone trying to politicize it is trying to win an election based on fear, and I want to make sure we focus on the issues that matter most in Texas," he said.
"I am convinced that the campaign is above the competition, that everything is reported to the FEC and that I will also make sure I understand what is going on, but after all that I am I heard, that's the sum, "he said.
The allies rallied to O 'Rourke's defense.
Representative Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, hit Cruz for "stupidity". State representative Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, said the senator's allegation was desperate.
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