College Boards and Political Donations in Texas

An investigation by The Houston Chronicle explored the substantial campaign contributions flowing to Texas Gov. Rick Perry from those he has appointed to state boards, many of them dealing with higher education. In a number of cases, the newspaper found donations flowing to the governor in the weeks before or after appointments were announced to prestigious board positions. Governor Perry has accepted nearly $5 million in donations from those he has appointed to state boards, and nearly half of the total involves higher education boards, the analysis found. More than $840,000 came from appointees to University of Texas positions.