Perry Campaign Consultant Named in Ballot Scandal

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Perry Campaign Consultant Named in Ballot Scandal
Green Party staffer’s email identifies Rick Perry consultant/Bob Perry
spokesman as potential source of ballot petition funds

A document surrendered under court order identifies Rick Perry campaign consultant, Anthony Holm, as a key person working with Green Party leaders to use Republican money to fund a signature gathering campaign to qualify Green Party of Texas candidates for the 2010 ballot. Holm is a principal of the Patriot Group , which is a well- known GOP political consulting firm that lists Republican Governor Rick Perry as its client. During the current election cycle, the Rick Perry Campaign has paid the Patriot Group at least $90,000 (Source: Texas Ethics Commission). Holm also worked as an aide to Rick Perry calling himself, “Special Projects Director for Texas Governor Rick Perry” (Source: Patriot Group Website ).

Rick Perry Payments to the Patriot Group
2009	$92,744.00
2008	$25,437.92
2007	$30,431.71
Total	$148,613.63

Anthony Holm is the spokesperson for millionaire Texas homebuilder and Republican financier, Bob Perry (Source: Dallas Morning News, March 5, 2009). Bob Perry has long been one of the nation’s largest contributors to Republican candidates and causes, particularly those in Texas. Bob Perry helped pay for the infamous Swift Boat attack ads in 2004 (Source: Dallas Morning News, March 3, 2010). He has contributed millions of dollars to the Republican Governors Association, various Rick Perry campaigns and to current Republican members of the Texas Supreme Court (Source: FEC, Texas Ethics Commission).

Perry-Green Party Connection
Green Party of Texas Statewide Coordinator kat swift reports via e-mail to the party’s executive committee that she can finally identify an individual who can help provide signature gathering funds. In her email, swift says, “So I just got a call that a republican in texas [sic] wants to give us 40% of the cost of petitioning…I got his name! Anthony Holm.”

A copy of the document can be seen here.

Ultimately, more than $500,000 was received from a secret donor and then funneled through a nonprofit corporation to pay for the Green Party signature gathering effort.

The Rick Perry campaign has adamantly denied involvement with the Green Party of Texas. However, Anthony Holm is the third – and most direct – connection between Rick Perry and the Green Party/GOP ballot scandal. The Lone Star Project previously reported that Rick Perry’s top campaign strategist, Dave Carney , has worked closely with the Republican political operatives who facilitated the Green Party/GOP ballot scheme. In addition, former Rick Perry Chief of Staff, Mike Toomey , was secretly paying an individual to convince Green Party leaders to accept Republican money to finance the signature gathering effort.

It is no longer credible for Rick Perry to deny his campaign’s involvement in the ballot scandal. At least three of his closest political associates have been connected to the scheme. Court documents have shown that two of these individuals – Anthony Holm and Mike Toomey – were in direct contact with the Green Party of Texas. Anthony Holm is a paid consultant to Rick Perry’s campaign.

Efforts are currently underway to obtain sworn depositions from both Anthony Holm and Mike Toomey. So far, both individuals have avoided being served subpoenas.

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