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Madison -- Gov. Scott Walker received $1 million from just four donors in recent weeks, a review of his latest campaign finance filing shows.

Giving $250,000 each were Bob Perry, owner of Houston-based Perry Homes and a chief backer of the Swift Boat Veterans ads against Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 race for president; David Humphreys, president of Missouri-based Tamko Roofing Products; Sarah Atkins, a quality consultant for the same company; and Stanley Herzog, chairman and CEO of Missouri-based Herzog.

Perry had given Walker $250,000 in an earlier donation, bringing his total donation to $500,000.

The latest round of giving helped Walker collect $4.5 million in just five weeks.

Normally, a governor or candidate for governor can accept no more than $10,000 from a single donor. But a quirk in state law lifts all limits for recall targets while petitions are circulated and election officials determine how many signatures have been submitted.

Walker campaign spokesman Ciara Matthews said that Walker is seeking to counter the influence of national unions that will be spending their own money in support of a recall effort. She said the out-of-state donations reflect the national appeal of the governor's policies in Wisconsin.

"Gov. Walker's reforms have resonated with voters all around the country," Matthews said.

She said that Walker would not be swayed by the donors who had given such large amounts to his campaign and would "continue to govern with the best interests of the people of the state of Wisconsin in mind."

Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said Walker had raised more money from other donors than any other candidate in state history.

“And he’s just getting warmed up because he’s probably got a couple of months to go with unlimited fundraising,” McCabe said.

McCabe said that an unusually high number of Walker’s donations -- 61% -- were from out of state.

McCabe said the looming gubernatorial recall election would easily surpass the estimated $37.4 million spent by candidates and outside interest groups in the 2010 governor’s race that was won by Walker. It would also easily top the Senate recall elections last summer in which candidates and outside groups spent an estimated $44 million, McCabe said.

But McCabe questioned whether the high level of spending would have as great an effect on voters as it normally might.

That’s because voters in many cases already have a strong opinion on whether they support or oppose the governor, he said. Also, though Walker’s spending will easily top the Democratic candidate opposing him, unions and other outside groups will also likely spend enough to allow an opposing message to get to voters, McCabe said.

After the $250,000 contributions, the next largest donation came from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, which gave $175,000 in the latest period. It was followed by the state Republican Party, which provided nearly $125,000.

The founders of Milk Source, a large dairy operation based in Kaukauna, and their families gave a combined $101,000 to Walker.

He received $100,000 each from Trevor Rees-Jones, the president and CEO of Chief Oil & Gas in Dallas, Texas; Bruce Kovner, chairman of Caxton Alternative Management in New York; and Mary Sue Shannon, who listed herself as a Milwaukee homemaker.

Walker received $51,000 from Marcus Hiles, who is in the real estate business in Texas. Three others gave him $50,000 each: Jere Fabick, president of the Fabco Equipment of Milwaukee; Rex Sinquefield, a Missouri retiree; and Robert Kerbell, president of Lorman Education Services in Eau Claire.

He received $30,000 from John Templeton Jr. of Pennsylvania a physician who heads the John Templeton Foundation established by his investor father. Templeton and Humphreys, one of the $250,000 donors, also gave large amounts to Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser for his recount last year.

Thirteen people gave him $25,000 each. They were: E. Brett McMahon, president of Miller & Long in Washington D.C.; C. Boyden Gray, a Washington, D.C. attorney; John D. Bryan, listed as a retiree from Oswego, Oregon; Marcus Bernard, listed as a retiree from Atlanta; Howard Jenkins, listed as a Tampa retiree; Bruce Hendry, listed as a Minneapolis retiree; Sam Fox, founder of the Harbour Group in Saint Louis; John Fischer, an executive with Pisces Inc. from San Francisco; Robert Cummins, president of Primera Technology in suburban Minneapolis; Gerald Couri, an executive with Couri Insurance in Waukesha; Jim Click, president of Jim Click Automotive Team in Tucson, Ariz.; Rick Carlson, a developer from Nashville; and Michael J. Bidwell, an Arizona Cardinals executive.

Houston developer Richard Weekley gave him $24,000. Giving him $20,000 each were Thomas W. Smith, an investor from Connecticut; D.F.F. McKeithan, president of Tamarack Petroleum Company in Milwaukee gave $20,000; Albert Nicholas of the Milwaukee banking firm Nicholas Co.; and the political action committee of Honeywell International.

Michael H. White, chairman and CEO of Rite-Hite Holding Corp. of Milwaukee gave Walker $16,700.