Volunteer Aide To Bush Campaign 
Resigns After Attacking Kerry

AFP: 8/22/2004 WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (AFP) - A former prisoner of war who was volunteering with President George W. Bush's re-election campaign has resigned after appearing in an advertisement attacking his Democratic rival John Kerry's record in the Vietnam War, a spokesman said Sunday.

Retired colonel Ken Cordier appeared in a television advertisement, sponsored by a group that calls itself "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," that questioned Kerry's war record and denounced his criticism of the war after he returned to the United States in 1971.

Under US electoral law, groups like the one that sponsored the advertisment are required to remain independent of the candidate's campaign.

"Colonel Cordier was a supporter of the president during the 2000 election and served as a member of the president's veterans' steering committee during this election," Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said in a statement.

"Colonel Cordier did not inform the campaign of his involvement in the advertisement being run by a 527 organization. Because of his involvement with this 527, colonel Cordier will no longer participate as a volunteer," he said.

Kerry's campaign had earlier announced that it planned to file a formal complaint Monday with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging illegal links between the Bush campaign and Swiftboat Veterans for Truth.