Ron Paul Strikes Deal With RNC over Delegates

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will enter the GOP convention next week with more delegates after a deal was reached avoiding a potentially embarrassing standoff with Mitt Romney.

The compromise settled a dispute over delegates from Louisiana.

"Paul will be awarded 17 of the state's 46 delegates in the compromise," Paul campaign chairman Jesse Benton told ABC News in an email. "The rest of the state's delegates are expected to support Mitt Romney, the party's presumptive nominee."

In addition, the RNC will seat an additional Paul delegate from Massachusetts.

Supporters of Paul and Romney clashed at the Louisiana party convention in June and ended up holding dueling conventions, with each group submitting lists of delegates.

The two sides reached the compromise Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., the site of next week's national convention.

"I think it's a huge win for our campaign because it showed what happened in Louisiana was wrong," Paul's campaign chairman in Louisiana, Charlie Davis, told the Associated Press. "It's been a long, uphill battle, but the overwhelming evidence was on our side."