Perry no longer paying South Carolina staff

GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry is no longer paying his staff in South Carolina.

“As the campaign moves along, tough decisions have to be made in respect to both monetary and time-related resources. Gov. Perry remains committed to competing in the early states and will continue to have a strong presence in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” Lucy Nashed, communications director for the Perry campaign told POLITICO.


It is unclear how long the pay freeze, which was first reported by National Journal, will last.

But South Carolina State Director Katon Dawson isn’t concerned. He said a group of staffers, including two top Perry operatives, will continue to work whether or not there is pay.

“Pay is only one reason people do this,” Dawson told National Journal. “We’ll be able to live off the land for a while.”

Perry will travel to South Carolina on Thursday.

This is the second presidential bid for the former Texas governor. He did not make the top 10 for last week’s initial GOP debate on Fox.