A former aide to Gov. Rick Perry allegedly paid to support an effort to include the Green Party on the November 2010 ballot.

The Green Party is a left-leaning political party that, if included on the election ballot, would likely dilute the Democratic Party's votes.

In court Thursday, the Texas Democratic Party won a lawsuit blocking the Green Party from certifying its candidates. The Texas Democratic Party has claimed that Republican operatives are behind the group, and believes the effort involved illegal contributions.

As part of the lawsuit, Democrats subpoenaed a man who led a failed petition drive in the effort.

According to the Austin American Statesman, Garret Mize told the court that Mike Toomey, a lobbyist and former chief of staff to Gov. Perry, paid for that effort.

Analyst Harvey Kronberg weighed in from the State Democratic Convention underway in Corpus Christi.

"One of the things that put Mike Toomey in the headlines was his involvement in the 2002 election, which was a Tom DeLay-driven effort in many ways," Kronberg said.

DeLay and several Republican operatives still face criminal charges for allegedly laundering secret corporate money during the 2002 elections, helping the GOP gain a majority in the Texas House. Toomey was a member of the inner circle of the Texas Association of Business, which helped to mastermind the effort.

"As far as the convention is concerned, anytime you can say the name 'Mike Toomey' affiliated with Tom DeLay, you are throwing red meat out to conventioneers," Kronberg said.

The Perry campaign said that Toomey and Mize have no connection to the governor's reelection campaign.