Perry’s Election Day Contributions Included Insurer Dollars

Although Texas Gov. Rick Perry insisted during his 2002 re-election campaign that he was not in the insurance industry’s pocket, as charged by his opponent Tony Sanchez, he nevertheless received $15,000 from insurance company political committees on the day he was re-elected last November.

According to the Houston Chronicle, four days before the election Perry also received $25,000 from Hillco Partners, the lobbying firm that represents Farmers Insurance Group, which had given Perry $25,000 earlier in the campaign.

Perry recently made public the some $1.7 million in contributions he received between Oct. 21 and Dec. 31, 2002. Perry brought in $1 million between election day and the end of 2002, including the $10,000 and $5000 election day donations from Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. and the Alliance of American Insurers, respectively. He took in $10,000 from the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas on Dec. 12.