House Candidate's Past An Issue In Mass. Gov Race

BOSTON (AP) - Republican congressional hopeful Jeff Perry's past is surfacing as an issue in the Massachusetts governor's race.

On Friday independent Timothy Cahill faulted plans by Republican candidate for governor Charles Baker to attend a rally with Perry in Dennis on Saturday.

Cahill said that it's clear that when Perry served as a police sergeant in Wareham in the early 1990s, he failed to protect a 14-year- old girl from an illegal strip search by an officer under Perry's supervision.

The victim of that strip search released a statement Wednesday saying Perry should have been able to hear her screaming, but did nothing. Perry said the other officer's action was `despicable.'

Baker running mate Richard Tisei said Thursday that the campaign is standing by Perry, a candidate in the 10th Congressional District.

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