Governor candidate in child-custody dispute

In legal papers filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, Pamela Riggs said Court Commissioner Scott McCoy signed an order July 26 that she be allowed to accompany their son, John, on his return flight that day from St. Louis to Phoenix. That occurred after Riggs said she learned that the 7-year-old boy, who was visiting Harris' mother, was going to be put on a plane alone.

But after the order was issued, the child was put on a flight leaving 30 minutes earlier from a different side of the terminal, something Riggs said she was not told. She said that left her at the airport with the ticket she already had purchased for him, and her son en route back to Phoenix to finish his visitation with his father.

Harris would not speak to Capitol Media Services. But campaign aide Shane Cayo, while agreeing that John was put on an earlier flight without Riggs despite the court order, said that decision was made solely by Harris' mother, Gerry.

The new legal spat comes as Judge Connie Contes rejected Harris' request to delay the order she issued in April that he pay Riggs more than $44,000 for her share of a New Mexico property. Cayo said Harris believes he can still delay payment while he appeals the order.

Contes also has said she found no basis for Harris' claim that Riggs was giving out his confidential financial information to his political foes. But she did order Riggs to disclose to whom she has spoken.

And Harris has been ordered to personally appear in court this coming week to answer charges that he failed to comply with another court order, this one requiring that he provide Riggs, who is the custodial parent, details about a life insurance policy.

Harris also has defended his successful legal move to cut his child support payments in half, to $1,000 a month, just months before putting more than $100,000 of his own money into his gubernatorial race.