On the Records: Perry's Financial Sector Donors
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Update: In a statement emailed to the Tribune Wednesday morning, Perry spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said, "Those who succeed off of successfully turning companies around deserve every cent of what they earn. Capitalism is about making money from success, not profiting off of others' failure, as Romney did in certain instances at Bain Capital."
"Gov. Romney has made his Bain business experience the ultimate rationale for his candidacy, so a close look at the reality of the Bain record is an entirely appropriate part of the primary campaign debate."
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Gov. Rick Perry was on the offensive Tuesday afternoon in South Carolina, attacking Mitt Romney for his tenure at Bain Capital, a private equity firm. But over the last 11 years, similar companies have been generous to Perry's gubernatorial campaigns.
According to a Texans for Public Justice analysis of campaign contributions to the Perry campaign since 2000, the governor has received more than $7 million from private equity firms, private investment firms, investment banks and hedge funds, and their employees. In that period, Perry won three gubernatorial campaigns: in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
The third-largest donor to Perry's gubernatorial campaigns, Harold Simmons, is the chairman of Dallas-based Contran Corporation, a holding company that owns stakes in various subsidiaries. Simmons tops the list with $1,120,000 in contributions to Perry. Gary Petersen, the managing director of Houston-based EnCap Investments, comes in second with $400,000 in contributions. EnCap Investments is a private-equity firm involved in the U.S. oil and gas sector.
Calls to a Perry campaign representative weren't immediately returned.
Use the table below to explore the the 79 financial sector contributors of at least $15,000 to Perry's gubernatorial campaigns. Each row is the aggregate total of contributions from that individual or entity between 2001 and July 2010.
| Last | First | Location | Employer | Occupation | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simmons | Harold | Dallas, TX | Contran Corp. | Chair | $1,120,000.00 |
| Petersen | Gary R. | Houston, TX | EnCap Investments LP | Managing Director | $400,500.00 |
| Tate | Charles & Judy | Sugarland, TX | Capital Royalty LLC | Chair | $395,069.80 |
| Simmons | L. E. | Houston, TX | SCF Partners | President | $390,111.08 |
| Pickens | T. Boone | Dallas, TX | BP Capital | CEO | $377,500.00 |
| Hicks | Steve & Donna | Austin, TX | Capstar Partners LLC | Chair | $365,001.55 |
| McStay | John | Dallas, TX | McStay & Associates | President | $247,401.44 |
| Wyly | Sam | Dallas, TX | Ranger Capital | Entrepeneur/Investor | $215,000.00 |
| Topfer | Morton L. | Austin, TX | Castletop Capital Management | Managing Director | $207,000.00 |
| Dondero | James | Dallas, TX | Highland Capital Management LP | CEO & Founder | $201,462.89 |
| Lee | James | Houston, TX | Ascendant Advisors, LLC | Principal | $190,401.66 |
| Wilson | James P. | Sugar Land, TX | Rice Sangalis Toole & Wilson | $177,300.00 | |
| Wyly Jr. | Charles J. | Dallas, TX | Ranger Capital | Executive | $125,000.00 |
| Stillwell | Robert | Houston, TX | BP Capital | Attorney | $120,000.00 |
| Goldsbury Jr. | Christopher (Kit) | San Antonio, TX | Silver Ventures Inc. | Owner | $114,500.00 |
| Hicks | Thomas O. | Dallas, TX | Hicks Muse Tate & Furst | Information Requested | $110,847.88 |
| Hiles | Marcus | Coppell, TX | Western Rim Investments | President | $106,000.00 |
| Bass | J. Kyle | Dallas, TX | Hayman Advisors, LP | Managing Partner | $101,000.00 |
| Davis | Ray | Dallas, TX | Energy Transfer Partners | Investments | $101,000.00 |
| Rennert | Ira | New York, NY | Renco Group | Principal | $100,000.00 |
| Miller | Charles & Beth | Houston, TX | Meridian Advisors | $100,000.00 | |
| Jackson | Alfred | Houston, TX | Inroads Group | $92,000.00 | |
| MAXXAM Inc.PAC | Houston, TX | MAXXAM Inc. | $76,000.00 | ||
| Gorman | John and Tamra | Austin, TX | Tejas Securties | CEO | $73,730.68 |
| Aragona | Joe | Austin, TX | Austin Ventures | Venture Capitalist | $65,000.00 |
| Whaling | R. Graham | Houston, TX | Parkman Whaling LLC | Co-Founder | $62,000.00 |
| Booth | David | Los Angeles, CA | Dimensional Fund Advisors/Booth Family Trust | Director | $60,000.00 |
| King | Luther | Dallas, TX | Luther King Capital Management | President | $58,500.00 |
| Lay | H. Ward | Dallas, TX | Lay Capital Group | Executive | $55,500.00 |
| Gauntt | Robert | Houston, TX | Avalon Advisors LP | Partner Co-founder | $55,343.57 |
| Lilly | Kevin J. & Lesley K. | Houston, TX | Avalon Advisors LP | Partner | $55,276.82 |
| Brock | Todd | Beaumont, TX | Brock Enterprises | Owner | $55,000.00 |
| Deaton III | Alfred | Houston, TX | Deaton Holdings | Investments | $55,000.00 |
| Feste Sr. | Gregory | Austin, TX | Feste Capital Holdings Ltd. | CEO & Chair | $53,920.79 |
| Austin | Tony | Heath, TX | Westdale Asset Management | Managing Director | $51,000.00 |
| HH Family Investments Ltd. | xqqx | San Antonio, TX | $50,000.00 | ||
| McElvenny Jr. | Ralph | Houston, TX | McElvenny Interests | Entrepreneur | $43,000.00 |
| Colonnetta | Joe | Dallas, TX | HM Capital | Investments | $41,808.36 |
| Bridwell | Tucker | Abilene, TX | Mansefeldt Investment Corporation | President | $36,150.00 |
| Vest | Herb D. | Dallas, TX | Herb Vest Investments | Principal | $35,000.00 |
| Underwood | David M. | Houston, TX | Underwood Wachovia Securities | Stock Broker | $34,500.00 |
| Smith | Alan | Houston, TX | Cockrell Interests | Principal | $32,500.00 |
| Roberts & Hatchett | Kilgore, TX | $32,500.00 | |||
| Goerl | Conrad | New York, NY | Centaurus Hedge Fund | Trader | $30,000.00 |
| Nini | Mark | Houston, TX | GN Ventures | $29,000.00 | |
| Seay | George E. | Dallas, TX | Seay Stewardship and Investment Co | $28,250.00 | |
| Pickering Jr. | Robert | Houston, TX | Investments | $27,000.00 | |
| Abraham | Salem | Canadian, TX | Abraham Trading | stocks and bonds | $26,000.00 |
| Sharbutt | David | Lubbock, TX | Self | Investments | $26,000.00 |
| Winkel | Carol Carpenter | Midland, TX | Winkel Enterprises | President | $25,250.00 |
| Jordan | Don | Houston, TX | Jordan Capitol Management | Independent Investor | $25,250.00 |
| Hartman | David A. or Claudette | Austin, TX | Hartman & Associates | Chair | $25,100.00 |
| King | Luther & Teresa | Fort Worth, TX | Luther King Capital Management | Founder | $25,000.00 |
| R. Hall Investment Properties | Tustin, CA | $25,000.00 | |||
| Sheth | Brian | Austin, TX | Vista Equity Partners | Principal | $25,000.00 |
| Robson | Bruce | Gulf Stream, TX | Robvest | CEO | $25,000.00 |
| Smith | Henry J. | Dallas, TX | Bud Smith Organization | Executive | $25,000.00 |
| Miller | David B. | Dallas, TX | EnCap Investments LP | $25,000.00 | |
| Loyd Jr. | Paul | Houston, TX | Penloyd Holdings LLC | Investor | $25,000.00 |
| King Jr. | J Luther | Dallas, TX | Luther King Capital Managment | President & CEO | $24,800.00 |
| Holloway | Graham | Georgetown, TX | Best Efforts | $21,100.00 | |
| Schweitzer | John C. | Austin, TX | Investments | $20,250.00 | |
| Harrison | William | Houston, TX | Self | Rancher and Investor | $20,000.00 |
| O'Neal | Theodore | Bellaire, TX | Inroads Group | Principal | $20,000.00 |
| Bleyzer | Michael | Houston, TX | Sigma Bleyzer | President | $20,000.00 |
| Seaman | Eugene J. | Corpus Christi, TX | Financial Service Manager | Former State Rep. | $19,778.64 |
| Riter III | A. W. & Cynthia | Tyler, TX | Riter Mgt. Co. L.C. | General Partner | $17,844.17 |
| New York Mercantile Exchange PAC | New York, NY | New York Mercantile Exchange | $17,500.00 | ||
| Hawn Sr. | George S. | Corpus Christi, TX | American Bank | Chairman Emeritus | $17,500.00 |
| Windham Jr. | James M. | Houston, TX | Windham Capital Advisory Services | Investment Advisor | $17,450.00 |
| McLaughlin | John | San Antonio, TX | Capital Group Companies | Senior Vice President | $17,000.00 |
| Langston II | Willie | Houston, TX | Morgan Stanley | Best Efforts | $17,000.00 |
| Cemo | Michael J. | Houston, TX | Michael J Cemo Interests | Investing | $15,500.00 |
| Zorich | Robert L. | Houston, TX | En Cap Investments LP | Officer | $15,500.00 |
| Bosarge | W. E. | Houston, TX | Quantlab Financia LLC | Chairman | $15,000.00 |
| Holthouse | Michael | Houston, TX | Holthouse Interests | Owner | $15,000.00 |
| Shanahan | David M. | Dallas, TX | DMS Management LLC | President | $15,000.00 |
| Grace | Guy | Austin, TX | GTM Corporation | Inv. Mgmt. | $15,000.00 |
Several of the Perry contributors listed here are donors to The Texas Tribune. Joe Aragona, David Booth, Steve Hicks, T. Boone Pickens, Harold Simmons, Robert Stillwell and Charles Tate are major donors. Charles Miller, John Schweitzer and Morton Topfer are donors.
Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.
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