By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-930316.mp3
Dallas, TX – Governor Perry says there's nothing to charges by opponent Bill White that Perry appointees to the Teachers Retirement System steered business to campaign donors. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more.
Bill White's campaign made the accusations based on a leaked memo from a Teacher Retirement System worker. In a press release it calls the smoking gun memo, White's campaign alleges the TRS board directed billions of dollars to investment funds run by Perry cronies. At a school event in Dallas , the Governor said the TRS and an outside examiner have looked into and dismissed the charges.
Perry: There's nothing there, that was his report back to the board. The State auditor has same information. This looks like some individuals who disagree on some practices nothing more than that.
Bill White's campaign questions the validity of the report and the reputation of those who prepared it. White is demanding an independent investigation. In a candidate's debate Tuesday that Perry did not attend, White said the TRS is dirty.
White: I think we need to clean house at the Texas Teacher Retirement System and make sure that politics never again influenes how the investment decisions are made with teacher retirement funds.
Perry called the issue a lame attempt by the White campaign to find something that will stick on the wall.