The Austin American-Statesman has published an article that alleges that much of Texas First Lady Anita Perry’s $60k-a-year salary at a nonprofit comes indirectly from The Gov’s political donors, large state contractors, and companies with business before the state legislature.
Mrs. Perry is an employee of the Texas Association Against Sexual Abuse and is paid from the money that she raises from private funding and from state grants from state agencies, including the governor’s office. Little conflict of interest?
The American-Statesman writes that “donating to the Texas Association Against Sexual Abuse has become just one more legal way for those with an interest in state government to get close to Texas’ first family.”
Futhermore, for some reason, the fundraising for the TAASA increased dramatically after Mrs. Perry was hired.
In 2003, the group reported to the Internal Revenue Service that it had received no donations of $5,000 or more, the minimum required to be disclosed in public IRS filings. In the first year of her tenure, major donations jumped to $100,000 — with all the money coming from state contractors, lobbyists or donors to the governor’s political account. Add to that more than 70 percent of the $634,500 in large donations given to the group between 2004 and 2009 came from businesses or individuals with ties to the governor. Add to that, surprise, surprise, these same donors also gave the governor’s political committee, Texans for Rick Perry, a total of $798,000 in contributions in the same year they gave to the TAASA.
And this is the guy who said he was offended at the notion he could be bought for $5,ooo. So it brings to mind the question of is there an amount he could be bought for?