Larry Flynt offers up $1 million for proof of Rick Perry impropriety

Image has not been found. URL: http://images.americanindependent.com/2010/08/RickPerry_Thumb.jpgPornography magnate Larry Flynt is offering $1 million to anyone with proof of an “illicit” sexual encounter with Texas governor and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry.

The Hustler magazine publisher bought full-page ads in the alt-weekly Austin Chronicle and satirical newspaper The Onion on Thursday, Reuters reports.

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years. We’ve found running these ads were very successful in finding sources to come forward,” Flynt said, referring to past attempts to embarrass politicians by provoking people to come forward from their past.

In a previous advertising spree, Flynt put up $1 million for proof of sexual impropriety by congressional Republicans and other high-ranking governmental officials who were trying to impeach former President Bill Clinton for perjury amid allegations of infidelity. More than 2,000 calls came in following the ad’s release in the Washington Post. After Flynt claimed to have dirt of an extramarital affair on incoming U.S. House Speaker Robert Livingston, the Louisiana Republican admitted to the sexual liaisons and subsequently resigned.

The Perry-targeted ad reads, “Have you had a gay or straight sexual encounter with Governor Rick Perry?” followed by smaller print:

A hotline number and email address is supplied to readers. According to the Houston Chronicle, Flynt says his office hears “considerable chatter” about Perry’s private life.

“That’s the reason why we decided to run the ad; otherwise we wouldn’t do it. We hope to get leads. If we do, we have good investigators to put on the story,” he said.

“You never know what’s going to break. You never know which way it’s going to break,” Flynt said. “But the thing about is, they usually all have something to hide.”

Perry campaign spokesman Ray Sullivan told the blog his team refuses to “weigh in on this garbage.”

A similar attempt to out any skeletons hanging around Perry’s closet played out last month, also in the pages of the Austin Chronicle. A group called The Committee Against Sexual Hypocrisy (a one-man operation led by Ron Paul supporter Robert Morrow) placed full-page ads in the paper, asking, “Have you ever had sex with Rick Perry,” and promised they would directly aid in helping takers make their story public.

At the time Paul refused to comment on the print ad, saying it would provide something “rather silly” with “too much credibility,” our sister site the Colorado Independent reported.

The ad continues bitingly. “Are you a stripper, an escort, or just a “young hottie” impressed by an arrogant, entitled governor of Texas? Contact CASH, and we will help you publicize your direct dealings with a Christian-buzzwords-spouting, ‘family values’ hypocrite and fraud,” the ad reads, ending with a “Note to gay people: If you know the truth about Rick, please QUIT covering for him.”

Reached by phone, Marrow claimed to have a “tremendous” number of secondary sources who can detail Perry’s sexual impropriety — but says no primary sources have come forward. He believes Flynt’s ad and monetary incentive will change that, though.

Unsubstantiated rumors that date back to 2004 suggest Perry and his wife Anita separated and that the governor is gay. Perry has called those rumors “false and misleading,” and an “obvious, orchestrated effort” led by political opponents.