Rick Perry’s Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs

January 19, 2012

Governor Perry can immediately pay back 93% of those taxpayer dollars, leaving him with an outstanding taxpayer debt of $179.949.59.

MEMO: Rick Perry’s Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs

SUMMARY: Estimates show Governor Perry owes $2,651,429.14 to Texas taxpayers for security-related travel costs incurred during his 160-day presidential run. With $2.47 million in his state account as of December 31, 2011, Governor Perry can immediately pay back 93% of those taxpayer dollars, leaving him with an outstanding taxpayer debt of $179.949.59.

Governor Perry was a declared presidential candidate for an amateur 160 days. According to records released by the Texas Department of Public Safety and published by the Texas Tribune, we can project Perry’s security costs from the day he officially announced his candidacy (August 13, 2011) to the time he suspended his campaign (January 19, 2012). Here is the total amount of taxpayer dollars spent during the 24-day window for which Texas DPS has released records:

September 5 – September 28 (24 days)
Airfare	$161,786
Baggage fees	$8,140
Food	$50,648.84
Fuel	$6,442.24
Lodging	$112,111.81
Parking	$2,990.26
Rentals	$54,356.65
Other	$1,238.57
TOTAL COSTS	$397,714.37

We can project the costs from August 13 to September 4 and from September 29 to January 19 based on the exact figures we have. Our estimates show Perry’s security costs as follows:

Rick Perry’s Security Travel Costs During his Presidential Campaign
Time Period	Security costs
August 13 – September 4 (23 days)	$381,142.94 (estimated)
September 5 – September 28 (24 days)	$397,714.37 (exact)
September 29 – January 19 (113 days)	$1,872,571.83 (estimated)
TOTAL (160 DAYS)	$2,651,429.14 (estimated)

According to Rick Perry’s latest ethics report, his state campaign account had $2,471,479.55 in total contributions maintained as of the last day of the reporting period: December 31, 2011.

Therefore, Governor Perry could immediately reimburse 93.21% of his taxpayer-funded security costs, leaving himself $179.949.59 in debt to the taxpayers of Texas. Governor Perry should be able to repay this remaining $180,000 between his new national donor base and the extra money he receives each year from his double-dip of retirement and salary from the job he technically has both retired from and still holds.

Download a copy of this memo here.

[1] “Rick Perry’s Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs Rise.” Texas Tribune, December 25, 2011. http://bit.ly/TribunePerryTravelSecurityCosts

[2] Texas Ethics Commission. http://bit.ly/PerryCOHDec2011