Still Governor, Perry Collects ‘Retirement’ Pay

[sonias]

10. Perry Rival Wants Probe of Retirement Pay

Texas Tribune 12/21/11
Perry Rival Wants Probe of Retirement Pay

An old Republican rival of Gov. Rick Perry is calling on state and federal officials to investigate whether he broke the law when he began collecting his lucrative pension without actually leaving his job.

Debra Medina, who lost to Perry in the 2010 Republican primary, sent a letter Wednesday to the Internal Revenue Service and the Employees Retirement System of Texas asking for a probe.

“As a taxpayer and a longtime political activist devoted to the protection of public dollars from misuse by government officials, I am concerned that Gov. Perry may be violating the spirit of state and federal regulations related to the compensation of elected officials,” Medina wrote. “Whether or not he violated the letter of these laws remains an open question and is in need of an official and final answer.”

Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas history, disclosed in recent Federal Election Commission filings that he began collecting his pension in January, boosting his gross yearly income by more than $90,000. Perry still makes his $150,000-a-year salary and has three years left in his term.

I'm with Medina on this one. Lets look into it and if this is really legal we need to change the laws. It certainly violates the spirit of law, the intention that the person collecting the pension should actually be "retired". Perry needs to quit his office!