Rick Perry's campaign for Texas governor last year criticized his GOP primary opponent's ties to a lobbyist caught on film apparently suggesting he could secure meetings for a deposed Central Asian politician with top Bush administration officials in exchange for a $250,000 donation to the Bush library.
But this summer, as Perry's allies scrambled to build a fundraising network ahead of his late entry into the presidential race, they accepted help from the very same lobbyist, Stephen Payne. He not only attended one of the first Austin get-togethers of Perry backers who have committed to raising — or "bundling" — as much as $500,000 apiece for Perry's presidential campaign, but Payne also boasted that he helped arrange meetings with former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis to burnish the Texas governor's foreign policy credentials.
Rick Perry’s cash dash sparks worries
POLITICO
