Before Romney, Grenell Advised Fred Karger

“We California Republicans stick together.”

Mitt Romney’s former foreign policy spokesman Richard Grenell, who left the campaign earlier this spring during controversy among social conservatives over his sexuality, was also an adviser for another, lesser known candidate: Fred Karger.

Karger, the gay protest candidate and former Reagan aide who sparred with the American Conservative Union over a spot at their annual conference, told BuzzFeed last week that Grenell is the author of the first version of his stump speech.

“Ric wrote my first stump speech,” Karger said, adding that it had some “neocon stuff” that Karger edited out regarding troop numbers overseas. He described himself and Grenell as “good friends.”

Reached by email, Grenell said it wasn’t exactly a speech that he gave Karger, but that he did advise him.

“I gave Fred advice on foreign policy and national security issues, not a speech,” Grenell said. “We California Republicans stick together.”