National Republicans went after Democratic U.S. Rep. Travis Childers of Booneville on Monday, saying he had taken "dirty money" from a Texas congresswoman.

Childers' campaign immediately denied it, saying the National Republican Congressman Committee is "desperately trying" to tie Rep. Eddie Berniece Johnson's $2,000 contribution in 2008 to this year's race against GOP nominee Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo.

"Nunnelee and his supporters in Washington are once against spewing political rhetoric," the Childers campaign responded in an e-mail.

Morgan Baldwin, a Nunnelee campaign spokesman, declined to respond directly, saying his candidate "is focused on his plans to create jobs and stop wasteful spending, rather than petty politics and false attacks."

Childers and Nunnelee square off Nov. 2 for the House 1st District seat. They'll be on the ballot with seven other independent and non-mainstream candidates for the post.

In May 2008, Johnson's campaign made a $2,000 contribution to Childers' campaign as he sought to win the Democratic nomination in a special election runoff. He took the oath of office the next week. Then he won a full, two-year term in November.

The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday that over the past five years, Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, awarded up to $20,000 in scholarships to four relatives and two children of her top Dallas-based staffer.

She acknowledged violating those rules but said she did so unknowingly. And she promised to rectify the financial situation.

Contact Patsy R. Brumfield at (662) 678-1596 or patsy.brumfield@djournal.com.