Perry Campaign Spent $16 Million in 138 Days
Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign turned out to be a spectacular flop, but that doesn’t mean everyone walked home empty handed.
Campaign consultants, ad buyers, fundraisers, airlines, hotels and catering companies all took a bite — some larger than others — of the $16 million that Perry forked over to the body politic between Aug. 15 and Dec. 31.
Over those 138 days, the Perry campaign spent an average of $116,000 a day, with payments ranging as low as 25 cents for a city of Austin parking meter on Sept. 5 to an $856,777.85 payment for TV ...
Comments (25)
Rudy Gonzales
Rick Perry owes Texas and Texans money. He must repay the people. If he doesn't pay, He should be recalled and then thrown into prison for breach of fiduciary functions. Recall, recall,recall!
Robert Blain via Texas Tribune on Facebook
His campaign expensed a quarter for a parking meter? And schools are more than broke. Yea, it's a quarter, but it comes off as arrogant and short-sighted.
Jamie Lewis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
pay us BACK, rick- as a courtesy
Jim Hsu via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'll bet ya $10,000 they would have expensed out parking tickets too.
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Remember how he railed against government waste?
Renee E. Babcock via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And yet he still charged taxpayers for his security detail when he was not only not on State business but be was out applying for a different job.
Neil Moyer via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Spending like a drugged airman; oh, reverting to form...
Bill Mintz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So many of these guys say they want to run government like a business, but they don't bring their sharp pencils to campaign spending. Perry had the money, so his consultants spent it, with little apparent regard for rate of return or other measures of effectiveness.
Frank Garza via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wow! I wish I would've been his promotional products consultant.
Fernando Perez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Gonna b a great write-off..... On tax payer's expense.
Kimberly Maudine via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pay up Goodhair!!
Mozelle Osborne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
There should be a way to get those High Rollers out of the peoples affairs. All he does is hamper growth and brag about helping it. He refused the unemployed people of a little help while they were down but he accepted money to refurbish the mansion he lives in. No good rat!!
Robert Chapman
Burned sixteen million dollars in 2 1/2 quarters of campaining. Is there anyone who can still think of the terms Rick Perry and fiscal responsibility as anything but oxymorons?
Buster Maness via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Fiscal conservatives.
Evelyn Turner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Someone needs to tell this man he is not cut out for a Politician !
Evelyn Turner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Hi Mozelle, Just to let you know that The No Good Rat, has lived in a Guarded Community for the last few years and We as Tax Payers are Footing his bill of $ 10,000.00 a month for the rent ! The Gov Mansion is still not repaired. Go Figure !
John Burton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Listed a quarter for a parking meter...but nothing for the (estimated) one-million in taxpayer-funded security detail -- while he was looking for another job.
mary westemeier
I'll bet a little digging will find that some "principle employees" or payroll for Paint Creek Media show some last names of "Perry", as in Rick and Anita, or maybe even the kids.
Perry never misses an opportunity to back-hand a little something for himself.
jpt51
What an ego and what a waste of money! How many teacher jobs could have been saved had the crony friends of Perry put education ahead of whatever they thought they were buying with their campaign dollars?
Frances Demps via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And yet, if he chooses to run again, Texans will send him right back to Austin.
charles roach
Why is it that "fiscal conservatives" are always conservative with money when its for luxuries, like decent schools, adequate fire and police protection, usable and well maintained infrastructure; but when its for necessities for themselves, security details, mansions; wine cellars, private flights, etc the sky is the limit and they give themselves and their cronies a blank check. This mouth-breather is finally showing everyone from Paint Creek to Buffalo Bayou what a truly hypocrite he is. The only justice would be for him to run again for Governor and finally get thumped.
Dale Curry
Flopped? That's like saying the Titanic leaked. But it is nice to know his campaign was run about as well as our state government has been. America, you dodged a bullet!!!!!
Peter Stern
So much for Perry being a "fiscal conservative" and let's not forget that Texas taxpayers paid for Perry's security detail while Perry was outside of the state campaigning for President to the tune of $800,000!!!
BTW, there are many "conflict of interests" in who got paid by Perry, including Mr. Delisi who is related to the state Congresswoman who received an appointment from Perry.
Hopefully, Texans will finally be able to get rid of Perry in 3 years --- after his current term expires.
@ Mr. Rudy Gonzales: there is no option to recall the Governor of Texas. Perry is protected by the lack of recall laws.
Tim Hurst via Texas Tribune on Facebook
plus the jerk embarrassed the hell out of texas.
Renee Mathew
When you follow up on this story in April, please include a figure for the total number of votes he received in the primaries. Let's calculate the ROI...the number of votes/amount campaign spent.