Texas first lady announces mansion restoration fund

AUSTIN (KXAN/AP) -- Even as the embers still burned, First Lady Anita Perry said she was already making plans to bring her state's historical landmark some emergency aid.

The Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund aims to raise money to restore the 152-year-old landmark, which was left with collapsed ceilings, a charred staircase and scorched walls after the June 8 fire.

" I said to Rick, 'I want this,'" Anita Perry said at a news conference on Tuesday morning to announce the restoration fund. "I want to do this for the state of Texas. I want to do this for the people of Texas. So, he thought about it and said, 'Okay.'"

And so,  out of the ashes, came the Governor's Mansion Restoration Fund.

The foundation of the fund will be built on the genorosity of loyal Texans who just want a way to help bring the mansion back to its old glory.

"Average people who weren't involved with any particular organization called in and asked how they could help," said Heritage Society of Austin President Julian Read. "They simply felt the passion for this wonderful structure."

But Andy Wilson, with the watchdog group Public Citizen, said while it's nice to see patriotic letters with a couple of twenties attached, that may not always be the case.

"What we don't want this to become is a smorgasbord of influence peddling," Wilson said.

Fundraisers like the restoration fund can get taken advantage of by companies or individuals who have a little more to offer and a lot to gain, Wilson said.

"People are raising and giving very large sums of money," Wilson said. "There's no disclosure. Sometimes there could be a quid pro quo, but because we don't know anything about it, there's no way to tell."

Wilson said while he hopes all Texans will want to help attack the expensive bill of rebuilding, he hopes they'll also demand to know who's joining them in the fight.

 "The best system we can have for giving money is full disclosure," he said. "We want to know how much money people are giving and why they are giving it."

No cost estimate has been placed on what it might cost to restore the mansion. Perry said she would also ask the legislature to appropriate money to help in the rebuilding process.

The Governor's office didn't immediately return KXAN Austin News phone calls about the disclosure process for the fund. If you are interested in donating, you can do so by clicking here.