HispanicBusiness

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has been hiring campaign workers from congressional Republican staff, officials said.

Romney's legislative affairs team has quietly been hiring aides to Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Roll Call reported.

The newspaper said the hires were a sign of willingness to work with staff members tied to leaders of the conservative movement.

The Romney campaign also hired several budget experts, seen as a pre-emptive defense against Democratic opponents of Sen. Ryan's 2013 fiscal plan, which would trim spending by $5.3 trillion across most domestic programs.

Ryan appeared with Romney at a campaign event Monday in Janesville, Wis., calling Romney a "bedrock of principles" and a "moral compass." Ryan is considered to be a front-runner in Romney's vice presidential selection.