Greg Abbott challenges legality of Wendy Davis memoir

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for Governor in Texas, has accused his Democratic opponent Wendy Davis of using her new memoir to illegally help her campaign.

Davis rose to national fame when she completed a dramatic filibuster to block a new law restricting abortions in Texas. Her memoir, Forgetting to Be Afraid, was released Tuesday, and early copies revealed Davis had an abortion and that her mother nearly killed herself.

On Monday, Abbott's campaign sent a letter to the Texas Ethics Commission asking for a ruling on whether Davis' book deal and tour count as corporate campaign contributions, which are illegal in Texas elections.

"The goal of [advertising the book] is nearly identical to the goal of advertising done by the candidate's campaign; that is, to raise the candidate's name identification, increase the public's opinion of the candidate and otherwise promote the candidate to the public," wrote Wayne Hamilton, Abbott's campaign manager.

"Any given trip may have two purposes: promoting the book and promoting the candidate's campaign," he said. "Similarly, this means the candidate's activities in promoting the book are likely to be viewed by those in attendance as activities in promoting the candidate's campaign (and vice versa)."

Zac Petkanas, a spokesman for Davis' campaign, dismissed the implications.

"This frivolous stunt by the Abbott campaign is the clearest sign yet how worried they are about the power of Wendy's story," Petkanas said.

Abbot campaign letter to Texas Ethics Commission