| Rick Perry aide Allison Castle claims that donors to the governor get nothing in return except for "good government." Well, a new story from the Houston Chronicle's R.G. Ratcliffe makes it clear that if you contribute enough, you can get a lot more. Gov. Rick Perry's request for a waiver of federal com-based ethanol production mandates was prompted by a March meeting he had with East Texas poultry producer Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim, who six days later gave $100,000 to the Republican Governors Association chaired by Perry.
Of course, Pilgrim is not new to the game of buying political influence. This isn't the first time Pilgrim has used political donations to gain access to politicians to push for policies he wanted. Pilgrim made state headlines in 1989 by handing out $10,000 campaign checks to senators in the Texas Senate chamber during a committee hearing on a workers' compensation bill that he favored.
After Pilgrim gave $100,000, Perry did not just help him but he also tried to enlist the help of 22 other Republican governors. In the three weeks after that donation, Perry's staff began preparing to submit the renewable fuel standards waiver request to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, according to 596 pages of records obtained from the governor's office by the San Antonio Express-News under the Texas Public Information Act. The donation, given March 31, also made it possible for Pilgrim to address nine Republican governors during a closed-door energy conference in Grapevine to explain his belief that ethanol production is driving up feed costs for poultry and livestock producers ... Talking points prepared for Pilgrim's appearance before the Republican governors were almost identical to ones Public Strategies gave reporters in advance of a June 24 news conference the firm organized for Perry at the National Press Club in Washington. In filing his waiver request, Perry sent a letter to all 22 of his fellow Republican governor's asking them to join him. None did.
Bo Pilgrim tried to buy the influence of all 22 Republican governors with a $100,000 donation to the Republican Governors' Association. Unfortunately for him, only one governor could be so easily bought: Rick Perry. To see a timeline of these events, visit the Houston Chronicle. |
