You’ve seen the articles. Perry has used Texas startup funding in the same way that Obama has used green startup funding—to reward donors.
Show me your facts.
Texas publications have tracked Perry’s every move, and land deals are no exception.
In the months leading up to his 2010 gubernatorial re-election, The Dallas Morning News reported that Perry had purchased land in Horseshoe Bay from his longtime friend and fellow state lawmaker, Troy Fraser, for $150,000 less than its appraised value of $450,000. Perry sold the property in 2007 for more than $1 million.
In 2002, the Houston Chronicle reported that Perry had transferred 60 acres of Austin land he owned into a blind trust right before the 1999 Texas Legislature met. His trust sold the property for a profit a few days after then-Gov. George W. Bush signed legislation that allowed development on the land. Back then, Perry spokesman Sullivan told the Chronicle the decision was made “by the trustee, not the governor.”
And in September, The Huffington Post reported that federal authorities investigated Perry two years after a 1996 transaction in which he bought 2,800 shares from Kinetic Concepts Inc., a health technology company owned by Dr. James Leininger, a top donor to Perry and to Republicans. A month later, Perry went on to sell 8,000 shares of his Kinetic stock, making $38,000 off the deal.