Rick Perry Booked On Abuse Of Power Charges
Rick Perry was booked on abuse of power charges late Tuesday in an Austin courthouse. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the Republican Texas Governor was indicted last week on felony charges which alleged he was attempting to force Democratic district attorney from office by issuing a funding veto. District attorney Rosemary Lehmberg had been arrested on drunk driving charges; a video from the arrest showing the official behaving aggressively towards officers went viral.
The Texas Governor has been touted as a likely 2016 presidential candidate, due in no small part to a significant surge in popularity prompted by his efforts to secure the border and thwart the massive influx of illegal immigrants into the United States. Rick Perry spoke with the media prior to entering the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center for booking on Tuesday. The governor was met by a large cheering crowd holding supportive signs when he went to the courthouse.
Perry had this to say before engaging in the booking process which typically includes the snapping of a mugshot and fingerprinting:
“I’m here today because I believe in the rule of law. I did the right thing. I’m going to enter this courthouse with my head held high. This indictment is nothing short of an attack on the constitutional power of the governor. I am going to fight this indictment with everything I have and we will prevail.
The abuse of power charges against Rick Perry have been deemed ridiculous and suspected political maneuvering by both Republicans and a host of prominent Democrats. A Texas grand jury indicted the governor last Friday on two counts of allegedly improperly threatening to veto Travis County Public Integrity Unit funding. The unit had requested $75 million in taxpayer funds for salary and operational expenses. The integrity unit handles political corruption investigations in the state.
When Rosemary Lehmberg refused to resign after both his request and mounting pressure from the public, Rick Perry followed through with his veto. The governor, among a multitude of other elected officials and voters, felt the district attorney was not fit for office or the handling of such a large sum of money.
And then, ice cream cone at #Sandy‘s pic.twitter.com/rDYW6HvoS5
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) August 19, 2014
Rick Perry is the longest-serving governor in the history of Texas. Under his leadership the state has become one of the most prosperous in the nation. If convicted of the abuse of power charges he could spend up to 99 years in prison. The Texas Governor also deemed the charges levied against him a “chilling restraint on the right to free speech.” After stating he will fight and ultimately prevail in the legal case, Perry added, “This indictment is fundamentally a political act that seeks to achieve at the courthouse what could not be achieved at the ballot box.”
http://youtu.be/JrxsCH_p1oc
Rick PAC video released prior to the governor’s booking
What do you think about Rick Perry’s booking and the charges filed against the Texas Governor?
[Images Via: Twitter and Bloomberg]
