Texas Gov. Rick Perry received the endorsement of businessman Steve Forbes Monday morning.

Forbes helped Perry craft the flat tax plan he will debut in South Carolina Tuesday, and Perry noted earlier in the campaign season that he had consulted Forbes on economic policy.

Forbes made his own presidential bids in 1996 and 2000, which focused on the implementation of a flat tax. Perry’s forthcoming plan differs from the initial flat tax plan developed by Forbes and does not use the 17 percent rate once proposed by Forbes.

The announcement of Forbes’ endorsement came at nearly the same time that former N.H. Gov. John H. Sununu appeared with Mitt Romney to formally endorse him.

Forbes openly criticized Romney’s 59-point jobs plan just last week.

“Gov. Romney does not like the flat tax, and his 59-point plan — even Moses only had 10,” Forbes said last week, according to the Boston Herald. “It’s a little much.”