A lawyer for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has warned Nevada Republican officials to keep close tabs on potential caucus night “shenanigans” from Ted Cruz’s camp.
Citing a Wall Street Journal report that said Cruz’s staff had instructed supporters to put their phones in “video mode” and record “anything that looks suspicious,” Trump’s counsel suggested the Texas senator’s campaign could seek to intimidate caucusgoers.
“We find this information especially troubling given Senator Cruz and his campaign’s track record of election shenanigans,” Donald F. McGahn II wrote on Monday in a letter addressed to state party chairman Michael McDonald.
CNN has reached out to Cruz’s campaign for comment.
The letter also asked that the state GOP “clarify whether or not such taping is permissible at the Caucuses, given that it appears potentially to be in contravention of federal and state law.”
The party responded to that request — and the report — in a statement affirming that “no member of the general public shall be permitted to photograph, film or otherwise record the caucusing process. … The Nevada Republican Party is committed to assuring the caucusing process is free from intimidation, threats or nefarious activity of any kind.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Marco Rubio’s campaign emailed supporters accusing Cruz of “a disturbing pattern of dirty tricks attacking Marco and trying to deceive voters.”
Both Trump and Rubio cite reports that Cruz’s campaign sought to mislead voters in Iowa by suggesting that Ben Carson planned to drop out of the GOP race.
The Rubio camp’s email also introduced a so-called “Nevada Truth Squad” email for supporters to message in the event they witness any untoward behavior.