Santa Fe, N.M. (AP) New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is
firing back at Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo. Richardson says he's spending state money to secure the border with Mexico because the federal government has failed to do the job. Tancredo had accused Richardson of spending the money to keep tabs on The Minutemen, a militia group that has been doing patrols of its owns.
In a letter to Tancredo Wednesday, Richardson accuses Tancredo of distorting the truth in order to try to grab headlines.
A sheriff in one of the New Mexico border counties says he'll use some of the state money for border patrols next month when The Minutemen will also be there, but a Richardson spokesman denies that money is being used to monitor the group.
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