According to the Washington Post, former Texas Governor Rick Perry has stopped paying his campaign staff.
Katon Dawson, who heads Perry’s South Carolina campaign told The Post: “Money is extremely tight. We all moved to volunteer status.” Dawson quickly pointed out that despite moving to volunteer status the six-person team had not cut back on its level of work.
The Perry team stated their ambitions to slog on toward the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, but with 17 candidates in the GOP field and three from Texas alone — Perry, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush — campaign contributions are precious.
Perry’s campaign manager Jeff Miller alerted staff last Friday they were involuntarily being moved to voluntary status. Those who wished to seek other employment were encouraged to do so.
“As the campaign moves along, tough decisions have to be made in respect to both monetary and time related resources,” Miller told staff. “Governor Perry remains committed to competing in the early states and will continue to have a strong presence in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.”
Perry stumbled in the 2012 primaries with spectacular flare-outs during debates. He promised to improve this time around however he ended up in the early version of last week’s Fox News GOP Debates and did not receive glowing reviews. His performance, inability to raise cash or his level in polls may make him this season’s first casualty.
Former Hewlitt-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina earned accolades for her performance in the early Fox News debate. As a result, she’s gained visibility among potential voters and has moved up in recent polls. Along with Perry, other candidates such as former New York Governor George Pataki, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum could be struggling for funds.
