Rick Perry's Former Staffers Made Millions As Lobbyists

[Kadie]

Rick Perry's Former Staffers Made Millions As Lobbyists
Posted: 9/16/11 01:54 PM ET

WASHINGTON -- Texas Governor and Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry has been good for the Austin lobbying business. Forty Perry aides have either left the governor's administration to become registered state lobbyists or gone from the lobby into Perry's inner circle, some of them making multiple trips through the revolving door, according to state lobbying disclosure filings and a review of staff records obtained by The Huffington Post through public records requests.

Among Perry's closest campaign aides, at least five have been registered lobbyists, including his communications director, his spokesperson and his political director. Two other ex-staffers who are current lobbyists head Super PACs organized to elect Perry.

These lobbyists have done good work for their clients, winning lucrative state contracts for everything from private toll roads to a nuclear waste dump to the now infamous HPV vaccine mandate. A review of financial disclosures filed with the Texas Ethics Commission shows that during the past 10 years, former Perry staffers have raked in tens of millions of dollars in lobbying contracts.

Perry, vying for the support of the Tea Party base, has been slammed by rivals Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) for "crony capitalism." If crony capitalism describes a situation where contracts are won by private companies who've hired close associates of the governor, then Texas records show the charge could stick. The pay-to-play allegations against Perry have become an Austin cliche.

more...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/16/texas-governor-rick-perry-staffers-lobbyists_n_966072.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

[blogslut]

1. His former chief of staff owns an island

Mike Toomey owns that island in partnership with Perry's very current political guru, Dave Carney.

Here's the funny thing about Mike Toomey - he can't set foot in Texas unless he wants to be served with a subpoena for questioning about the money he paid in an effort to put Green Party candidates on the ballots in the 2010 elections.

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/2010-texas-governors-race/former-perry-staffer-in-green-party-drive/