Labor Secretary Tom Perez, a top surrogate for Hillary Clinton, went after Donald Trump Thursday by tying him to the man who killed Trayvon Martin.
"It wouldn't surprise me that George Zimmerman wanted to be on Donald Trump’s side because they share the same values," Perez said in a call with reporters.
In February 2012, Zimmerman shot and killed Martin, an unarmed black teenager who was walking down the street in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, claimed he shot Martin in self-defense. The case set off a national debate about racial bias and so-called Stand Your Ground laws. A jury found Zimmerman not guilty in 2013, and frustration about the acquittal helped launch the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Wednesday, Zimmerman said he was auctioning off the gun he used to kill Martin and would use some of the proceeds to stop Clinton.
"I am proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds will be used to: fight BLM violence against Law Enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela Correy's (sic) persecution career and Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric. Now is your opportunity to own a piece of American History," Zimmerman wrote on the online auction site.
Corey was the Florida state attorney who charged Zimmerman. His listing for the gun no longer appears on the auction site.
Clinton tweeted a note to Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, Thursday in response to Zimmerman's announcement. Fulton is a supporter of the Democratic presidential candidate.
At the time of the Martin killing, Perez was in charge of the Justice Department's civil rights division and led the investigation into whether what Zimmerman did was a hate crime. Ultimately, the agency decided not to pursue federal charges against him.
Perez is widely seen as a possible vice presidential running mate for Clinton, but he said Thursday he has not discussed the issue with the former secretary of state.
Trump may not want Zimmerman's support. In the past, he's called him a "bad guy" and "nothing but trouble."
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