Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday called out opponent Beto O'Rourke after a video surfaced purporting to show the Democratic representative's staffers using campaign funds to help migrants illegally enter the United States.
The undercover Project Veritas video, released Thursday, claimed to show O'Rourke staffers "using campaign resources to buy supplies and help transport Honduran aliens," according to The Texas Tribune.
Cruz jumped on the video during a Friday rally speech.
"I thought it was a joke, until video broke this morning of his campaign staffers taking campaign money and apparently using it to give to people coming here illegally," the senator said, according to The Hill.
"There are radicals on the left who want to tear down our laws," he continued. "By the way, Beto has not answered a simple question: Should we allow this caravan to cross illegally into the state of Texas?"
Cruz also tweeted on the matter Friday.
"Two basic Qs every reporter should ask Beto today: (1) should the 'caravan' be allowed to cross illegally into Texas? (Beto refuses to answer.) And (2) did your campaign dollars illegally fund their doing so?"
The candidates then traded statements.
"Beto campaign staffers confirmed on video that emerged last night, that they are giving supplies to immigrants who have crossed the border illegally, it is a fair question to ask," a statement from the Cruz campaign read.
"And even more important is what Cruz first asked — why hasn't Beto O'Rourke said what should be done when the caravan reaches the border? He refuses to answer, yet Texans deserve to know what he would do — will he support securing the border or will he be complicit in encouraging them to enter illegally?"
O'Rourke's campaign responded, in turn, with a statement seeking to clarify what was shown in the video.
"Staff members took it upon themselves to use prepaid cards from one of our more than 700 field offices to buy baby wipes, diapers, water, fruit and granola bars, and donate them to a local humanitarian nonprofit (Annunciation House) that helps mothers and children in the community," O'Rourke spokesman Chris Evans said. "The value was under $300 and it will be appropriately reported to the Federal Election Commission."
Latest polls have Cruz leading O'Rourke by at least 3 percentage points in the Texas Senate race.
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