Andy Parrish, Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) former chief of staff, is stepping forward to confirm allegations that Bachmann's campaign made improper payments to Iowa State Sen. Kent Sorenson (R).
Parrish, who until now has been known only as "Witness A," has agreed to testify in front of the Iowa Senate, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
According to the Des Moines Register, Parrish will tell officials that Bachmann was aware of financial arrangements at the center of three ongoing ethics investigations, and has emails that detail the payment arrangement. After serving as Bachmann's chief of staff, Parrish worked on her Iowa campaign.
The former Bachmann operative will corroborate Peter Waldron's claims that the congresswoman's 2012 presidential campaign violated finance laws. Waldron, a former Bachmann adviser, filed an official complaint with the Federal Election Commission in January.
“The time has come to confirm that ‘Witness A’ is Andy Parrish, and he’ll be providing an affidavit with supporting material that completely supports the representations previously made by Peter Waldron,” Parrish's attorney John Gilmore said, according to the Star Tribune.
According to the Associated Press, Sorenson continues to deny that he accepted unethical payments and doesn't believe Parrish has evidence that would corroborate Waldron's claims.
Gilmore told the Associated Press, however, that "Andy knew the truth and he had the material. ... It’s putting the missing puzzle piece together so the Senate ethics committee can do its job."
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