Ex-wife of state Sen. Wesley Meredith says couple applied for welfare benefits together in 1996
By Paul Woolverton, The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"Wesley and I went to DSS and applied for
"I did not become aware of any potential wrongdoing until my domestic attorney later brought it to my attention many years ago," she said.
At the time, she said, she was a stay-at-home mother.
"I had no outside source of income,"
"My children and I were totally dependent on Wesley's income. He did not keep me informed about the financial decisions he made for our family."
"I have cooperated and will continue to cooperate with any investigation,"
"I agree with my former wife that our son should not of been dragged into this campaign by
In previous interviews, Meredith said he does not remember his son being signed up for
Richardson said he finds it hard to believe that Meredith would not know or remember if his son were on a welfare program.
"I would certainly know who was paying my bills and what my obligations are," Richardson said. "And I just don't accept his lack of memory. And I think that if this truly is a lack of memory, then I would be doing all the due diligence I could to reconstruct my memory and give a forthcoming answer to these allegations."
Democrat Richardson and Republican Meredith are battling in one of the few state legislative districts that is competitive for both political parties in this highly gerrymandered state, though the only public poll -- albeit from a right-leaning pollster -- showed Meredith with a 14-point lead Monday.
Democrats are still smarting that Meredith took the seat in 2010 from Democrat
Income documentation
The Merediths' son was born in
The couple separated in
Tax documents that Richardson shared say the couple's annual income in those years was far higher than the maximum allowed for them to enroll their son in
"
"Should the allegations prove true, we will call on
"However, if
Staff writer
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