The Daily Reports: Rick Perry directly asked dozens of his biggest fundraisers to put their weight behind Newt Gingrich’s campaign during a conference call with the former House Speaker late last week, The Daily has learned.
More than 50 of Perry’s former “bundlers” — who take checks from big-money donors to campaigns — joined the Friday conference call, according to people who participated. It was both the first time Perry has directly asked a large group of supporters to join him in backing Gingrich, and the first time Gingrich joined in the fundraising ask.
“He said that Speaker Gingrich is the person to support in this race because he’ll make fundamental changes consistent with how Gov. Perry feels,” one person who was on the call said.
Many of Perry’s bundlers have been on the sidelines since the Texas governor withdrew from the race, but some have joined front-runner Mitt Romney’s team in the wake of his imposing victories in Florida and Nevada. Gingrich is reportedly low on campaign cash and badly needs an infusion before the slate of Super Tuesday primaries early next month — indeed, donor meetings have taken precedence over on-the-ground campaigning in recent days.
Amid rumors that Perry will soon join the stump with Gingrich himself, Perry made clear he’s sticking with the insurgent candidate even as his chances against Romney seem to dwindle.
“He said he’s all in for Newt,” the person on the call said.
