Newt Gingrich to Mitt Romney: 'Give me a break' on disclosure ploy Newt Gingrich slapped back at Mitt Romney's call Friday for him to release confidential files relating to a congressional ethics complaint, saying that a 900-report about the investigation is public and that Romney had no standing on the matter given his failure to release his tax returns. "Give me a break," Gingrich told reporters after headlining a boisterous rally at a shopping mall. I refuse to take seriously any request from the Romney campaign to disclose anything because they clearly don't want to disclose anything at any level that involves them. The late 1990s ethics investigation found that Gingrich had mingled political and nonprofit enterprises and gave false information to investigators. The House, in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, reprimanded Gingrich and him $300,000. While the report about the investigation is public, a congressional committee that included now-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi reviewed many more documents, and Romney argued earlier in the day that any damaging information contained would sure be trumpeted by Democrats in the general election if Gingrich is the nominee. Sure, he ought to get it out now," Romney said in Gilbert. The back-and-forth occurred less than 24 hours before South Carolina voters head to the polls amid signs of a tight race between Romney and Gingrich. Romney had been the front-runner, but polling shows Gingrich surging, with some predicting he could win the first primary in the South. "I hope to win South Carolina, you know, God willing we'll win, and tomorrow night will be very interesting and then Florida will be even more interesting," Gingrich said. As support for the former House speaker has grown, so have attacks against him, including a fake CNN email sent to Palmetto State Republicans on Friday that said Gingrich pressured an ex-wife to have an abortion. Gingrich said that whoever is behind the email should be prosecuted. "I am sick of the kind of dishonest campaigns that we see when people go out and fake somebody else's material for the purpose of causing trouble 24 hours before a primary," Gingrich said. This is not worthy of our children and grandchildren. It's not worthy of America. It's not funny. It's not a game. It undermines our capacity to govern ourselves.