Houston Chronicle reports:
AUSTIN – A judge on Monday is expected to seat a grand jury to begin looking into the threat that Gov. Rick Perry carried out to veto funding for the Public Integrity Unit under Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.
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Texans for Public Justice, which tracks money in politics, filed a complaint with prosecutors over Perry's threat, contending that he violated laws against coercion of a public service, abuse of official capacity, official oppression and, potentially, bribery.
Perry's office did not immediately respond to request for comment Monday. Spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said previously, "As he has done following every session he's been governor, Gov. Perry exercised his constitutional veto authority through line-item vetoes in the budget."
Not much to add as this is breaking. Stay tuned.
PoliticusUSA says:
If this case reminds you of another Republican governor who wants to run for president, but is trapped in his own web of self created scandals, it should. Perry got himself into hot water by threating to withhold $7.5 million in funding unless the Democratic Travis County DA resigned. Perry wanted her to resign after she was convicted of a DWI. The Democrat promised not to run for reelection, but refused to resign.
Perry’s actions put a cloud of uncertainty over hundreds of criminal investigations and were illegal. The governor can’t withhold funding in order to pressure another elected official to resign. The matter of the DA and her DWI is an issue between her and the voters.