PONDER EXPRESSES OUTRAGE AT CHARGE FROM DEMOCRATIC LEADER

Cape Girardeau attorney Mike Ponder is outraged about a suggestion made by state Democratic Chairman Gene Bushmann that he and three other former Ross Perot supporters were planted by the Republican Party.

"This just shows the Democratic Party is without honor," said Ponder, adding that he has no idea where Bushmann came up with the idea.

Ponder had served as 8th District coordinator of Perot's independent presidential bid. The attorney is listed as one of Perot's electors on petitions filed with the secretary of state to have the Texas billionaire's name placed on the ballot in Missouri.

On Aug. 30, Ponder and three other leaders in Perot's presidential effort in the state appeared at news conferences around the state with Gov. John Ashcroft to announce they were endorsing President Bush for re-election.

Two days earlier, Ponder, Thomas Aylward of St. Louis, Hal Gibbs of Jefferson City and Craig Schroer of Kansas City met with the president during a brief visit to the state.

"My first contact with the Republican Party was when this meeting with the president was arranged," said Ponder.

Although he had not been politically active before, Ponder was recruited to help in the Perot effort last spring by Gibbs, who he has worked with at a Jefferson City law office.

In a press release issued Friday, Bushmann charged: "This is another example of the famous Republican dirty tricks crowd. I believe they were undercover agents planted by the GOP party to join the Perot camp with the specific intention of spying on the Perot campaign and eventually having them publicly renounce Perot and throw their support to Bush.

"This is the kind of cheap political behavior that causes Missourians to stay home on election day."

Bushmann challenged the Republican Party to publicly deny that it had conspired to plant undercover supporters in Perot's campaign.

"I want everybody to know I spell my last name P-O-N-D-E-R, rather than B-O-N-D, as in James Bond," said Ponder.

Ponder stressed that as an elector for Perot, he would cast his vote for Perot if he carried Missouri in the November general election.

"That's my sworn duty," said Ponder.

But since Perot was not actively campaigning and had ended his bid for the White House, Ponder said he felt Bush was the best choice to be made.

Perot abruptly ended his candidacy on July 16.

Gibbs, responding to the Democratic chairman's allegations, said it was "an absolute lie. It's outrageous, it's unconscionable and I'm going to look into suing him and the Democrats for libel."

Bushmann told the Associated Press that Gibbs had no grounds to sue because he sought publicity about his switch from Perot to Bush, making him a public figure subject to comment and criticism.

State leaders of Perot's organization in Missouri have sharply criticized the endorsement of Bush by the four.

Bushmann contends that most former Perot supporters are now backing Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton rather than Bush.