Ex-aide: Bachmann won't pay what's owed

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- An aide on Rep. Michele Bachmann's unsuccessful presidential bid said the Minnesota Republican hasn't paid him and others for work done after the Iowa caucuses.

Peter Waldron, who was in charge of Bachmann's outreach to Christian voters, said he believes she withheld payment because the staffers cooperated in an investigation into the campaign, The Hill reported Friday.

Waldron, a consultant, said the campaign has refused to pay him and several others for more than a year, and owes them collectively about $5,000.

He said he suspects the payment was withheld because of a lawsuit and criminal investigation into allegations Bachmann's Iowa campaign chairman stole a voter list.

"Michele Bachmann and her senior staff are involved in a lawsuit in Polk County, Iowa, and there's a criminal investigation under way," he said. "Many of our staff are involved in either depositions or interviews with the police.

"It's probably not a coincidence that all the people who have not been paid are the very people who have either given depositions, given affidavits or have been interviewed extensively by the police," he said.

Waldron said he and other paid staffers were led to believe they would get a month's pay for helping close Bachmann's Iowa campaign office after last year's Jan. 3 caucuses. They submitted invoices with "every reason to believe that each of the employees in Iowa would be paid," he said.

James Pollack, who was Bachmann's national finance chairman, disputed the claims.

"Mr. Waldron's presentation of the facts and related allegations are false and inaccurate," he told The Hill. "Why Mr. Waldron would be motivated to attempt to disparage the congresswoman, the campaign or fellow campaign members, I can't explain."

He said there was no basis for claiming compensation for work done after Bachmann dropped out of the race.

The Hill said financial disclosure documents indicated Bachmann for President owed $170,000 and had $53,000 in cash on hand at the end of November.