G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

Dallas Morning News 11/26/09
Gov. Rick Perry's trip to Vegas includes bachelor party for his son
AUSTIN – They say that what happens in Las Vegas stays there, but for Rick Perry, not all of it has.

The governor's Oct. 24 political trip to Las Vegas to meet with Brian Sandoval, a Republican candidate for Nevada governor, included a bachelor party for Perry's son, Griffin, spokesman Mark Miner conceded Thursday.

He initially declined to call it a bachelor's party, saying he would describe it more as a dinner. He confirmed, though, that it was a celebration of Griffin Perry's upcoming nuptials joined by a number of his male friends.

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The governor used a combination of money from his political donors and the Republican Governors Association to pay for his Vegas trip. It's illegal to use campaign funds for personal travel, but Perry has a history of combining business with pleasure trips so that political entities will pick up the tab.

He did it in February 2004 when he and his wife were joined by a handful of campaign supporters and anti-tax advocates on a trip to the Bahamas to discuss public school finance. That summer, he also went on a trade mission to Italy joined by his wife and daughter.

This year, he and his wife went to Israel to talk trade.

The Scoop - Hank Gilbert blog 10/30/09
While Asking Agencies To Trim Travel Budgets, Perry Spends $70,000 On Jerusalem Junket
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According to state documents, the taxpayers’ bill just to take Perry’s security officers on the 5-day trip was more than $70,000. The breakdown includes $17,000 for rooms at the swanky King David Hotel, nearly $13,000 for food and more than 350 hours of overtime.

The specific price tag for the governor and his wife are secret. So when CBS 11 asked to see the governor’s expense records for the trip, we received four pages and no specifics. Perry refused to do a formal interview with us and would only say, “Going to Israel or other countries is a wise investment for the state of Texas.”

San Antonio Express 2/21/08
Perry's tropical trip stirs up a storm from some Texans

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry's trip to the Bahamas with campaign donors drew a rough reaction from some Texans, documents released by his office show.

"With all due respect, have you LOST YOUR MIND?" asked a Lockhart woman in an e-mail to Perry. "This little trip to the Bahamas ... has convinced a long-term, middle-aged conservative to vote you out of office."

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Among those who went on the trip were Perry's wife, Anita; campaign donors John Nau and James Leininger; Brooke Rollins of the Texas Public Policy Foundation; and Grover Norquist, president of the Washington-based Americans for Tax Reform, which opposes all tax increases.

San Antonio Express 03/14/2007
Corporations pave the way for Perry's trip to Mideast

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry's Middle East journey, coming in the middle of a heated legislative session, is being funded by numerous corporations whose interests may be affected by bills passed or rejected by lawmakers.

Perry, his wife, Anita, and two aides to the governor — communications director Eric Bearse and general counsel Brian Newby — left Tuesday and are to return March 21 after visits to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

Spokesman Robert Black said he didn't know yet how much the trip will cost, but that it is being financed through TexasOne, a privately financed program controlled by the governor's office to bring more business to the state.

Some of the biggest contributors to TexasOne — $25,000 to $50,000 a year — include AT&T, Verizon, the Vinson & Elkins law firm, the Associated General Contractors of Texas, CenterPoint Energy, TXU, the BNSF Railway and Williams Brothers Construction Co.