Another Republican Goes Down as Rick Perry Is The Focus Of a Criminal Investigation
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has lawyered up as the criminal investigation into whether he illegally withheld money from a district attorney’s office is gaining steam.
According to the American-Statesman:
Gov. Rick Perry has retained a high-profile Austin defense lawyer to represent him in a criminal investigation into whether he illegally withheld money from the Travis County district attorney’s office, the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV confirmed Sunday.
The hiring of David L. Botsford is the latest signal that the inquiry into Perry’s conduct might be gaining momentum after a seven-month investigation.
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.
Gov. Perry’s actions are very similar to what Chris Christie is being accused of doing in New Jersey. Christie is accused of withholding Sandy aid, unless political favors were granted to his campaign donors. Both Christie and Perry have White House dreams in 2016, and both may be undone by their own criminal abuses of power.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
He is a pill head drug test that clown & murder
Nothing like a little out in the public blackmail now and then.
HA HA HA! In the words of the great musical group Queen, “Another one bites the dust.”, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
I agree, Phil.
Perry is a dangerous Dominionist. Thankfully, he hasn’t brain one.
In actuality, though, this affects his chances of winning the Presidential nomination not even a tad -he has always had about as much chance of being nominated as he has of being an intellectual – zip, zero, nada, bupkis, etc…..
Yep these are the folks “scared” of President Obama using “too much” of his powers.
Say Hello to Governor Davis.
pshaw like a mofo.
I cannot help myself – always have to look up lawyers. GoodHair has hired himself a “high-priced” CRIMINAL DEFENSE attorney.
YEEHAW –
http://www.davidbotsfordlaw.com/Attorneys/David-L-Botsford.shtml
Maybe he will be indicted, that would just thrill Democratic Texans to the core…..
Somebody should look closely at Scott Walker. I am sure he has been doing the same ever since they decided to list the names and addresses of everyone who signed his recall petition online and made it a searchable database.
This just helps Wendy and Leticia.
AG Greg Abbott running against Wendy enlisted that paragon of virtue, Ted Nugent, to campaign with him – so you can see what a thrill this is for Dems.
Democrats are not that lucky to have Perry the repub nominee.
Seems like it’s way too early to declare he’s going down. Politicians in Texas seem to be made of Teflon and nothing sticks to them. Even Tom DeLay’s conviction was overturned. The reason he’s being investigated is because another Texas politician got arrested for a DWI and publicly embarrassed herself by behaving badly while under arrest and he wanted her to resign. She’s still in office. Maybe I’m too cynical about what’s going in here in Texas, but I don’t feel like this is going to get very far or really hurt Perry in the long run.
the writer is ahead of themselves. the investigation is just starting, therefore it’s too early to say perry has gone down. more than likely, this will be his undoing, I certainly hope so.
the fact he has lawyered up is telli, as it is only an investigation.
Does Rod Blagovich come to mind?
Same as George W. Bush……………….
I wish there was a thumbs up button!
Him and a ton of others. But, is rod as pertinent as Perry?
A bit absurd that Perry has to defend himself and not the obnoxious drunk Rosemary Lehmberg, who somehow still has her job.
Not really too soon. This has be ongoing for a number of months. If you pay attention to Texas politics, this claim is not new, but the “lawyering up” is very new.
Pete,
Guess you are an EvangeliBagger. It is gonna be hilarious to watch Baggers disappear with Wendy and Leticia running Texas.
Lehmberg served her time, get over it.
In the words of GoodHair:
“Adios, mofo”.
No Perry hasn’t been charge or convicted but it does cast “aspersions on his asparagus” as another great Texan said. That alone will keep from any serious presidential run.
You have no idea how incredibly ridiculous that statement is do you?
Rosemary Lehmberg served time. She DID have to defend herself.
You are indicative of the RWNJ’s that come here and say things proving they do little more then copy and paste garbage
Damn, I’m going to miss his zany ass in the primary debates.
Republicans want so badly to destroy the president that they are doing a great job of destroying themselves. If it is not the the healthcare, it is the equal pay, voting rights, I mean the democrats really don’t have to do anything but say all the things the republicans have sign into to law they are against, or the bills they have cut and that will remove them from office in november and in 2016. Their future for regaining the white house for several terms is very slims because they are about to become a party of miniorty and a race of miniorty and we all know they hate miniorties. They have turned every race and group of people they need to get them elected except for a small majority of ole southern white male and a few brainwashed female to vote for them. They think that their wives will be voting republicans but thank GOD for secret ballots and they will never ever know the truth. And the men is too dumb to know the difference, so let them stay in the dark.
I would love for that to be the case. It seems to me that Texas are brainwashed though and will vote for anyone who is GOP no matter how bad it gets.
At least Christie had the brains to try to hide his criminal behavior.
This nitwit publicly announced he was going to break the law, then went ahead and did it.
I THINK the article means to say “threatening” to withhold because I don’t know what “threating” means.
“Anger/Hatred is an acid that can do more harm to the GOP vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”.
-Mark Twain
Exactly what’s happening to the GOP!
Yes it does, and I can’t wait to hear moans of the masses when It’s ladies day in the mansion.
Perry and Christie are just two more GOP governors who care only about power and serving their fat cat backers. Even worse than what Perry and Christie have done is what Snyder in Michigan and Walker in Wisconsin have done. They both ran for office never once mentioning their plan to cut money for education and take money from seniors to use for more tax breaks for corporations. The GOP believes government exists for corporations and that every policy is just about power and money. It’s time this dinosaur thinking and party becomes extinct.
DeLay’s problems just might not be over. In March of this year, the TX Court of Criminal Appeals agreed to review whether the lower court that threw out DeLay’s prison sentience was correct in doing so.
“The appellate court in September 2013 tossed a high-profile jury verdict, ruling that “the evidence was legally insufficient to sustain DeLay’s convictions.” In a dissent, the lone Democrat on the three-judge panel argued the evidence for a conviction was sufficient enough to convince a rational jury that criminal conduct had taken place.”
“Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, whose office had prosecuted DeLay, had appealed the appellate court’s decision.”
Notice that Rosemary Lehmberg is involved in this case,too. She’s the reason Perry has had to hire a high-priced attorney. He tried to force her out of office because she had a DWI.
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Top-court-agrees-to-review-overturned-Tom-DeLay-5331253.php
Shocking I tell you. Just shocking. Wait, I was thinking of something else.
YAY!!!!!!!!
Lets make this into a campaign ad… Rick Perry, tried to stop a Democrat from being drunk and abusive with police; so lets fire him because we all know Democrats can’t do any better.
7.5 Million for a “Public integrity Unit” led by a drunk who is abusive to police is what Texas needs; but Rick Perry doesn’t understand how drunken abusive Democrats are good for society.
I’m persuaded, lets write that ad now and get Rick Perry thrown out of office for not supporting the right of Democrats to be drunk and belligerent, and to drive while heavily intoxicated.
How dare he not support belligerent drunk drivers; I’m sure that this is a topic on which the voters will support the Democrats because they know belligerent drunk drivers are worth 7.5 million a year.
How did rick perry “tried to stop a Democrat from being drunk and abusive with police;”” Could you explain that? Could you explain how rich perry used his position to try and blackmail someone? We can wait
Could be those pinhead Texas Republicans drink too much wise old owl urine – shaken or stirred?