The attack ads continue in Texas' U.S. Senate race, this time a Super PAC supporting Lt. Governor David Dewhurst suggests his GOP opponent in next week's runoff, former state solicitor general Ted Cruz was responsible for a man's suicide.
"My son came out of there and he took a gun & shot himself in the heart," says Sandy Fonzo in the ad. "Ted Cruz should be absolutely ashamed of himself; I don't know how he can sleep at night."
Cruz responded in an exclusive interview with KTRH News Thursday.
"My heart breaks for this woman who lost her son and she experienced every parent's nightmare," says Cruz. "But I think it is contemptible that the Dewhurst campaign would exploit her suffering and her grief in a political campaign to falsely charge that I had any responsibility for it."
Fonzo's son was caught up in a 2008 "kids for cash" scandal in Pennsylvania where two judges were accused of accepting money from Robert Mericle, builder of two private, for-profit juvenile facilities, in return for contracting with the facilities and imposing harsh sentences to fill them.
"I had no involvement whatsoever in the tragic political scandal and judicial scandal of these juvenile facilities," Cruz insists. "I had zero involvement in the criminal proceedings."
Cruz did however; represent the developer in a civil trial.
The Dewhurst campaign did not return calls from KTRH News seeking comment.
Meantime, Sarah Palin and Jim DeMint are scheduled to appear at a rally for Cruz in The Woodlands Friday night. The event comes one day after Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, radio host Glen Beck and former Texas Representative Dick Army rallied for Cruz in Dallas.
"I think it's just a sign that people in this area are really interested in the issues and making change," says Julie Turner with the North Houston Tea Party. "We think Ted Cruz is the better candidate in this race to go to the Senate and represent Texas."
The Get Out the Vote Rally starts at 6pm at Town Green Park.
