Although he declined an invitation to speak at the Chicago Tea Party's "TeaCon 2011" this weekend, Rick Perry's campaign has sent out invitations for two Illinois fundraising events in mid-October, including a $2,500-per-person reception in the home of a Chicago couple.
The invitation to the Chicago event, posted by Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times, welcomes supporters to the home of Holly and Steve Cortes for a reception with the presidential hopeful on Oct. 12.
The next morning, Perry will appear at a breakfast fundraiser in Carpentersville, IL hosted by OTTO Engineering founder Jack Roeser at the company's manufacturing complex, according to the invitation posted by Crain's Chicago Business. Attendance at the breakfast costs $1,000 per person, but a $2,500 ticket includes a one-on-one photo with the GOP candidate.
Perry's fundraising efforts garnered attention earlier Tuesday over rumors originating from within the campaign suggesting he had raised almost $20 million in online fundraising after three days of campaigning in Texas and Oklahoma. The claims were later disputed, and Politico reports that the candidate's team is still aiming to hit the $10 million mark.