Perry Begins Defense on Felony Indictment

[Crabtownboy]

I would agree with Perry if he had not tied his veto to an employee resigning their job. If that employee had been a political appointee he could have simply fired her. But, apparently she was not a political appointee. A political appointee serves at the pleasure of the governor.

If this is his only defense he is in trouble.

Why didn't he follow state procedures for firing her?

Gov. Rick Perry plans to fight his indictment on coercion and official oppression charges by arguing that vetoing spending bills is the governor's Constitutional duty, and the indictment violates the separation of powers.

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It appears to those on the prosecutor’s side that his funding veto and the threat that preceded it were an attempt to intimidate and coerce the office that has the job of policing corruption and ethics cases in state government.

The threat is the thing. Had the governor simply cut the funding without saying anything — especially in public, but even in private — this would just be a strange veto. That is not unprecedented.

Read more: http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-l...-on-felony-indictment-12676446/#ixzz3AYgfRgrD

 

[Use of Time]

Well that is what is so crazy about all of this. It wouldn't even have been that hard to get to rid of her the correct way. I'd love to know what his chain of thought was here because it honestly sounds like he just didn't the rules. Man, I just don't know. It is truly bizarre.

 

[InTheLight]

Well that is what is so crazy about all of this. It wouldn't even have been that hard to get to rid of her the correct way. I'd love to know what his chain of thought was here because it honestly sounds like he just didn't the rules. Man, I just don't know. It is truly bizarre.

It means that he isn't a very crafty politician.

 

[TCassidy]

The indictment won't survive summery judgment. It is pure left wing dirty politics. Texas is known for political corruption, especially on the left.

 

[TCassidy]

It means that he isn't a very crafty politician.

Exactly the opposite. It gives him a terrific talking point for the upcoming election cycle, "Left wing politics are corrupt and here is the proof, a politically incited prosecution." It's win win for Perry. Either she finally resigns, or is removed from office, or stays and become the poster child for Texas Democrat politics.

 

[Use of Time]

There is no way you can call it win-win when he is most likely going to have to either a) admit he abused his power or b) was simply ignorant of the procedures which is essentially an easy spin to make him look incompetent. Her office was investigating one of his primary initiatives, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas for corruption. He also is having the state pay for his legal defense here which is somewhat unprecedented. He is going to have to really get out ahead of this if he doesn't want all of this thrown in his face come election time. There is no campaign manager in the world who would call this a win-win.

"According to the state comptroller’s website, the governor’s office has paid his lawyer, Mr. Botsford, nearly $80,000 since June. Legal experts said that other state officials who have been accused of crimes relating to their duties have had to pay for their own defense, and this was one of the first times Texas taxpayers were paying the bill."

- NY Times