On the Records: Texas Donors Boost Super PAC Backing Romney

Restore Our Future, a Super PAC that supports former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, picked up a Texas-backed boost in February, receiving $3 million from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry and $100,000 from Contran Corporation CEO Harold Simmons of Dallas.

According to monthly filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission today, the Super PAC received $6.4 million last month, of which $3.2 million came from Texas donors.

Although this is the largest single donation made by Perry in the 2012 election cycle, he is no stranger to making Super PAC contributions. Perry has given $2.5 million to American Crossroads, the national group with ties to former Bush White House advisers Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, and last year he gave $1 million to Restore Our Future.

Simmons' contribution brings his total to Restore Our Future to $200,000, but under his name and the name of his company, he has given $12 million to American Crossroads as of January 2012. American Crossroads has not yet submitted its February contributions to the FEC.

ProPublica's PAC Track — which appears to not reflect today's filings yet — lists Simmons as the highest single contributor to Super PACs, with $11.2 million donated. Add in contributions by Contran Corportation, and the total jumps to $14.2 million. Although Perry's $6.5 million in total contributions does not bring him to that level, Texas donors are taking full advantage of a 2010 Supreme Court decision that allows for unlimited donations to Super PACs.

Despite the outflow of money from Texas, not much has been spent in Texas by the major Super PACs. According to PAC Track, the only sizable Texas expense has been by the Newt Gingrich-supporting Winning our Future, which spent $11,957 on radio advertising.

The Harold Simmons Foundation is a major donor to the Tribune.