Cruz distances campaign from fraudulent Facebook post

by Jordain Carney - 02/16/16 7:48 PM ET

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is denouncing a Facebook page that suggests Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) regrets endorsing Marco Rubio, after Rubio suggested Cruz’s campaign was behind the incident.

“Our campaign had absolutely nothing to do with this fraudulent Facebook post,” Cruz said Tuesday. “This kind of deception is deplorable and nothing like it would be tolerated by this campaign.”

{mosads}Cruz’s comments come after Rubio’s campaign accused him of “underhanded tactics.” A Facebook post from the page “Trey Gowdy Prayers” calls Gowdy’s endorsement of Rubio a “grave mistake,” adding that “I have changed my mind.”

The post, which now appears to be unavailable, goes on to endorse Cruz.

Gowdy quickly blasted Cruz, saying that he’s been willing to “spread false information and outright lies in the hopes of winning votes by appealing to our lowest common denominator.

“I’m demanding that Senator Cruz and his campaign repudiate these dishonest and underhanded tactics,” he added in the statement released by Rubio’s campaign.

Cruz’s campaign has been under fire from his GOP presidential competitors, who suggest he’s used questionable tactics during the primary.

Rubio and Donald Trump accused the Texas senator of lying during last week’s debate — pointing to retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson’s contention that Cruz’s campaign spread false information that Carson was dropping out of the race during the Iowa caucuses earlier this month.

Carson, who says Cruz’s tactics hurt him in Iowa, declined after the debate to call Cruz a liar, instead saying that he believes “there are liars in his campaign.”

The latest accusations come as Cruz, Rubio and Carson are scheduled to appear in a CNN town hall event Wednesday as they battle ahead of the South Carolina GOP primary on Saturday.

A CNN-ORC poll released Tuesday found Trump leading the GOP presidential field in South Carolina, with Cruz in second place.

Tags Donald Trump Marco Rubio Ted Cruz Trey Gowdy