New Flap Rocks Perot Campaign as Ad Firm Departs : Candidacy: Texan was apparently upset at company’s work and cost. Reports of Wilder being offered vice presidential spot are denied.

Ross Perot’s presidential campaign sought to play down the latest signs of disarray Monday amid the departure of its ad firm and repercussions from a spate of controversies.

Meanwhile, the campaign stepped up its search for a running mate and said it would probably announce Perot’s choice before the Republican convention begins on Aug. 17.

The newest discord threatening the Texas billionaire’s expected independent candidacy came with the departure of Hal Riney, a San Francisco advertising executive hired to produce campaign footage for television. Apparently Riney was dismissed because Perot was unhappy with his work and outraged at its cost, said to be upward of $100,000 per spot.

Riney, who also prepared former President Ronald Reagan’s highly acclaimed “Morning in America” ads in 1984, is a close associate of Edward J. Rollins, the former Reagan White House political director and now co-chairman of Perot’s campaign. Riney’s departure was first reported in the Wall Street Journal. He did not return telephone calls Monday.

Riney was among the first people Rollins hired after he joined the campaign. In a statement, Rollins hailed Riney as “the best in the business” and said his spots were “as good as the ads he did for Ronald Reagan in 1984.”

The commercials were privately previewed for volunteers at a July 7 meeting in Dallas, the Associated Press reported. One was a biographical sketch of Perot, two others had female volunteers giving testimonials about Perot’s candidacy, such as, “It’s really the light at the end of the tunnel, a little bit of hope.” They ended with an announcer giving Perot’s toll-free number with the slogan, “Join the Americans for Ross Perot.”

Rollins has been anxious to get commercials on the air and reportedly has been at odds with Perot on the question. He said no other ad firm is employed by the campaign.

But Murphy Martin, a retired Dallas TV anchorman who has been working for the campaign for about a month, said he would pick up “some of those duties.”

Perot spokeswoman Elizabeth Maas said Riney’s spots might still be used. “No decision has been made as of yet,” she said.

Riney’s departure raised questions about whether Rollins and fellow co-chairman Hamilton Jordan might be chafing at the control that Perot exercises over his campaign--and over the fact that their influence seems subordinate to that of two longtime Perot associates, Morton Meyerson and Tom Luce.

Maas said, somewhat obliquely: “They are both here and they have made a commitment to this cause. And they are both working around the clock.”

But the Washington Post reported today that Jordan has told friends he may be leaving. The Post said he and Rollins both are discouraged because Perot rejects their advice--and that they have warned him that unless he learns some basic political skills, his support could sink to single digits. Currently, it hovers around 30% in opinion polls. The Perot campaign denied the report.

The latest flap comes after the Texas billionaire’s speech to the NAACP over the weekend that seemed to antagonize much of the audience. Perot, who wrote the speech himself, referred to “you people” and “your people.” Scores of NAACP members later complained that Perot’s comments had been patronizing, forcing Perot to issue a public apology.

The campaign was also criticized for requiring its delegates to the Electoral College to sign loyalty oaths and undated letters of resignation. And Perot’s attempt last week to satisfy gay activists with a pledge not to tolerate discrimination in the government seemed to fall short because it did not specifically include the military.

Meanwhile, sources inside the Perot campaign Monday denied rumors that Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder has been offered the vice presidential spot--as did Wilder himself.

The campaign “has not had any discussions with Gov. Wilder about the subject of vice president,” said Maas, adding that Perot “has the highest regard” for Wilder, an early dropout in the Democratic presidential primary campaign.

“It has never been offered to me,” Wilder said as the rumor swirled around the Democratic National Convention in New York. “I have not talked to anybody in the Perot camp about becoming vice president. I have talked . . . in general (terms), nothing specific.”

Other sources in Perot’s camp said Monday that senior staffers have drawn up a list of prospects that is now awaiting Perot’s review; whether Wilder was included was uncertain.

The list, they said, covers a broad spectrum of prospects: Republicans as well as Democrats, males and females, ethnic minorities, politicians and non-politicians--including at least one college president.

Chen reported from Dallas, Broder from Washington. Times Washington Bureau Chief Jack Nelson contributed to this story.