Opportunity and Freedom PAC (super PAC supporting Rick Perry) organization and staff

Pro-Perry Super PACs

(page updated August 31, 2015)

Opportunity and Freedom PAC, Inc.
...pro-Perry super PAC filed with the FEC on March 4, 2015.

Senior Advisor Austin Barbour

Co-founder (2011) and managing partner of the Clearwater Group, LLC; partner in Strategic Partners & Media. Senior strategist on U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's 2014 re-election campaign; ran Mississippi Conservatives PAC, a super PAC that helped Cochran fend off a 2014 primary challenge from state Sen. Chris McDainel. A member of the strategy team for Romney for President in 2012. Government relations specialist at the regional firm, Capitol Resources from 2003; took a leave of absence from lobbying during 2008 to serve as campaign manager for Roger Wicker's U.S. Senate campaign. Ran Haley's PAC from its start in Sept. 2004. Finance director for Haley Barbour’s first campaign for Governor of Mississippi in 2003. Graduate of University of Mississippi, 1999. Nephew of Haley Barbour. twitter

Senior Advisor Tony Russo

Partner at Russo Miller & Associates. Group senior vice president of corporate affairs for the Irvine Company from 2003. Managed campaigns as a sole proprietor and partner at McNally Temple Associates. Masters degree in public administration an bachelor's degree in political science from University of Southern California.

Senior Advisor Jordan Russell

(including press) twitter

Co-Chairman Mike Toomey

Lobbyist ("Best Texas Lobbyist") and state government consultant at the Texas Lobby Group. Chief of staff to Gov. Rick Perry, 2002-04. Chief of staff to Gov. Bill Clements, 1989-90. State representatve from Houston for three terms, 1983-88. Attorney in Houston focusing on business law, 1976-88. J.D. from South Texas College of Law, 1976; B.A. in philosophy from Baylor University, 1972.

Co-Chairman Ray Sullivan

Based om Austin. President of Sullivan Public Affairs since March 2012. Communications director on RickPerry.org, Sept. 2011-Jan. 2012. Chief of staff to Gov. Perry, July 1, 2009-Sept. 2011. Operated Sullivan Public Affairs, an Austin-based public and government relations firm, 2002-09. Worked in various capacities for Perry from 1998-2002, including governor’s deputy chief of staff, lieutenant governor’s communications director, and communications director for the 1998 and 2002 campaigns. A national spokesman for George W. Bush for President in Austin in the 2000 campaign. Deputy communications director for then Gov. George W. Bush, 1995-98. Deputy director of state press operations for Bush-Quayle '92. He also worked as a political consultant at Karl Rove + Company, and served on the Washington, D.C. staffs of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Congressman Sam Johnson (R-Plano). B.S. in business marketing from San Diego State University, 1986.

Finance Chairman G. Brint Ryan

(announced June 2, 2015) Co-founder and CEO of Ryan, LLC, a Dallas-based, global tax services firm, since 1991. Previously a senior associate at Coopers & Lybrand, July 1988-July 1991. B.S./M.S. in accounting-taxation from University of North Texas, 1988.

Pollster and Senior Strategist Glen Bolger

(reported by The Washington Post's Philip Rucker on April 21, 2015) Partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies; three-time winner of the “Republican Pollster of the Year” award from the American Association of Political Consultants (2002, 2009 and 2012). Work in 2012 included pollster for Restore Our Future, the Mitt Romney super PAC, and he was part of the polling team for American Crossroads. Prior to starting Public Opinion Strategies, Bolger served as director of Survey Research & Analysis for the NRCC. Graduate of The American University, 1985.

Treasurer and Counsel Stefan C. Passantino

Partner at Dentons (merged with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP in 2015); with McKenna from Oct. 2003. General counsel on Newt 2012. Partner at Amall Golden Gregory LLP, June 1993-Oct. 2003. J.D. from Emory University School of Law, 1991.

Counsel Benjamin P. Keane

Political law managing associate at Dentons; political law associate at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP from 2011. Koch legal associate and visiting legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, 2010-11. Litigation associate at Alston & Bird LLP, 2006-09. Communications and research analyst at the RNC, 2001-03. J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, 2006. A.B. in politics from Princeton University, 2001.

IOWA

State Director Marshall Critchfield

(announced Aug. 31, 2015) Critchfield is stepping down from his role as Jasper County Republican Party chairman (elected Oct. 2013). He has worked for U.S. consumer operations at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage from March 2009, as development manager at K. Hovnanian Homes, project manager at Osprey, and as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill. M.B.A. from Palm Beach Atlantic University, 2008. twitter

Deputy State Director Beth Hamilton

(announced Aug. 31, 2015) Just finished managing Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney's Aug. 2015 primary re-election campaign.

Opportunity and Freedom PAC I
...pro-Perry super PAC filed with the FEC on June 26, 2015.

Senior Advisor Austin Barbour

Treasurer and Counsel Stefan C. Passantino

Counsel Benjamin P. Keane

Opportunity and Freedom PAC II
...pro-Perry super PAC filed with the FEC on July 10, 2015.

Senior Advisor Austin Barbour

Treasurer and Counsel Stefan C. Passantino

Counsel Benjamin P. Keane