BREAKING: Texas Grand Jury Indicts Governor Rick Perry

[blogslut]

http://www.texastribune.org/2014/08/15/grand-jury-indicts-perry-abuse-authority/

A grand jury indicted Gov. Rick Perry on Friday on charges of abuse of power and coercion as part of an ethics inquiry into his veto of funding for the state’s public integrity unit.

The inquiry began last summer after a ethics complaint was filed, alleging that Perry had improperly used a veto to deny funding for the unit, which is housed in the Travis County district attorney’s office and focuses on government corruption and tax fraud.

After District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg pleaded guilty to drunken driving last year, Perry threatened to withhold $7.5 million in funding over two years for the integrity unit if Lehmberg did not resign.

Lehmberg, a Democrat, served a jail sentence but did not resign. Perry made good on his promise and vetoed the state budget’s funding line item for the unit. Though Perry has the authority to veto items in the budget, his critics said that this was done expressly for political purposes and is a crime...

[Sheepshank]

1. And the fireworks for another run at POTUS fizzles

aint that just too bad!

[delete_bush]

58. Well, yes it is too bad!

The clown car just won't be the same without him riding shotgun.

[pinboy3niner]

72. Proving, at the same time, that a grand jury will indict a ham

[Enthusiast]

129. sandwich

[annabanana]

2. why is this the first I'm hearing of this?

Not "National" news?

[blogslut]

6. it just happened

[Mrdrboi]

16. It just happened. Give it an hour or so

[NuclearDem]

25. That's what I was thinking too.

I imagine if charges had been pending against one of the most high-profile governors in the country, we would have heard something about it before.

[TexasTowelie]

59. I posted a thread back in April.

You Are Paying for the Criminal Defense of Rick Perry
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107817339

You might want to subscribe to the Texas Group to keep up with the news, although things have progressed to the point that further news will likely be in GD or LBN.

[billhicks76]

146. Jeb Bush!!!

It's all about eliminating competition so Jeb Bush can be installed in 2016. The biggest crook of them all. Christie Gone...Perry Gone...the only two other repubs that can garner Hispanic votes.

[Stellar]

70. I hadn't heard about it either.

[Laelth]

103. Talk about a Friday News Dump.

This one is a whopper!

-Laelth

[CBGLuthier]

3. I wonder what style of glasses can make one appear more innocent?

[CatWoman]

5. now that's a good one

[annabanana]

7. hee . . . . n/t

[winter is coming]

8. DUzy! n/t

[Boom Sound 416]

24. Three kinds

Last edited Fri Aug 15, 2014, 07:48 PM - Edit history (1)

Sun, reader and

And



And.

What was the other kind?

[CBGLuthier]

28. and that's your topper

[ChisolmTrailDem]

34. Looky there! A DUzy inside a DUzy! nt

[hibbing]

44. Haha

Two awesomely funny posts, gosh I love this place.

Peace

[mindwalker_i]

54. Does that make it a RECURzy?

A recursive DUzy?

[calimary]

77. Or a DUet-zy?

Or a DU-OOPS-zy?

[valerief]

132. A DUDUzy. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

145. another one! DUDUDUzy

[BumRushDaShow]

50. Thatsa double-DUzy.

[green917]

128. oops!

Duzy for you!

[pangaia]

45. Magic Morman glasses.

[Botany]

130. While he can always call out the National Guard

[Robbins]

4. Oh my god

Perry's hope for 2016 just went down the toilet.

Although like Tom Delay's conviction It will be said democrats went after him.

[Avalux]

18. Ironic since Democrats have no power at the state level.

But this is different than Delay. I think it is anyway - the local news is reporting it and the preliminary report sounds bad. The call is for his immediate resignation.

[Robbins]

21. I agree

But like delay that Is bound to happen that the DA Perry tried to force out had a grandjury In his pocket.

Regardless Perry Is in deep Shit.

[FiveGoodMen]

29. And, like Delay, he'll probably never be punished.

[Takket]

9. great, how soon until he is impeached?

[Avalux]

19. He is being asked to resign immediately. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

97. He be safe to do so...

They won't miss him, as Lt. Gov runs the show.

Then, everyone get Wendy in. Perry was probably stepping down this time because of her challenge, yes?

[Avalux]

99. Perry's decision had nothing to do with Davis.

He's been in office for 14 years (UGHHHHH) and decided to go. This is very good news for Wendy, since Abbott is all rolled up with Perry.

[WillyT]

10. HUGE K & R !!!

[LanternWaste]

11. This is news to me. Thanks for posting.

This is news to me. I'd honestly heard nothing at all about this until now.




BTW-- You're a big asset to DU... you know that right?

[blogslut]

14. aww, shucks.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

12. That's nice

But Tom Delay says hi. There is no "Texas Justice".

[dsc]

13. I am no fan of Perry

but this case seems to be a bit of a stretch. I think it would be hard to defend the notion that a woman who flagrantly broke the law, and her arrest tape is a doozy, shouldn't be forced to resign as DA.

[blogslut]

15. It was the witholding of funds that was the crime

[dsc]

17. they are claiming that him doing that to get her to resign is the crime

so we are left to argue that his using his power to get rid of a DA who broke the law is somehow a crime. Good luck with that.

[edhopper]

20. DWI

isn't grounds for removal. That is why he try to force her to resign, and abused his office to do so.

[dsc]

22. It was way more than DWI

again that tape is a doozy. I don't see any jury convicting him of this anytime soon. on edit link to video http://www.jrn.com/ktnv/news/Video-shows-Texas-district-attorneys-arrest-for-drunk-driving-235314821.html

[liberalhistorian]

27. I don't think you're quite grasping the issue.

Under state law, it was an illegal abuse of power for him to threaten to withhold funding for the entire department, and then make good on that threat, because the DWI DA wouldn't resign. The issue is not the drunk DA's actions, it's his illegal abuse of power in response to her actions. You cannot act like a dictatorial king and flout state law just because someone else in the government breaks the law or acts like a dick.

[dsc]

40. I can't imagine a Texas jury convicting him of this

One look at that tape and a hung jury is the best we get.

[TexasTowelie]

61. It's Travis county and yes it can happen there. nt

[dsc]

69. I will say this

seeing Hardball tonight I do feel a bit better about this case. It seems they have the veto plus an offer of a job. Also the Texas Observer reports that there was an independent prosecutor.

[TexasTowelie]

78. I've been following the story for over a year starting in January 2013.

The earliest posts were about the CPRIT (the state cancer agency) and how AG Greg Abbott had not done his job being a member of the board monitoring contracts issued to Perry's cronies. That is the underlying reason why Perry wanted to take over the PIU. The Lehmberg DUI case gave Perry the opportunity to install a friendly DA in the only office held by a Democratic, thus he could squelch any indictment.

http://www.statesman.com/news/business/cprit-fallout-clinical-trials-network-suspends-ope/nT9SH/

Note that Perry, Greg Abbott and Dewhurst were on the board of CPRIT at the time.

[S_B_Jackson]

122. It won't be tried in Travis County...

Perry will request, and be granted, a change of venue.

The trial will be conducted in one of the other 250+ other counties in the state and will be comprised of citizens of that other county.

Lehmberg's office will never be able to get a conviciton....this is just so much political kabuki theater.

[TexasTowelie]

125. It's a special prosecutor from San Antonio presenting the case and he was appointed by the elder

Bush. If there is a change of venue it would have to go to a county with at least a reasonably large population. The most favorable ones for a Republican are Brazos, Collin, Ector, Lubbock, McLennan, Potter, Randall. Most of the larger counties already lean to the left. It will be difficult to get an unanimous verdict, but I still see it as possible. At minimum, this indictment should derail his presidential ambitions since it will certainly continue into 2015.

The bad news is that it moves Ted Cruz back into the limelight so that Texas doesn't its allegiance between the two.

[Avalux]

80. An important detail -

Perry had PUBLICLY promised on two separate occasions that he would fund the Public Integrity Department. Then the Lehmberg DUI happened, and even though he demanded her resignation, she refused. That's when he threatened to withhold the funding if she didn't resign. She still didn't. Perry vetoed the funding.

The fact that Perry promised the funding - publicly - will be what gets him.

[Niceguy1]

106. it is unlikely thath

The tape will be admitted into evidence as it has nothing to do with his charges

[msanthrope]

134. How would that tape come into Perry's trial? nt

[DhhD]

137. Targeting a woman is a hate crime.

[msanthrope]

148. And? nt

[dsc]

139. It is very relevant to the defense here

it is exhibit A for why he wanted her gone in his defense's theory. At the very least, it will be stipulated taht she drove drunk and tried to use her connections to get off for having done so.

[msanthrope]

147. Exactly...once the facts are stipulated, how does the tape come in?

Will Gov. Perry get on the stand to testify that he saw the tape and that it influenced him? I think that highly unlikely.

[jberryhill]

42. Because juries love technicalities

He could still put on a "justification" defense which a jury might find persuasive.

[jeff47]

47. If he had only harmed the DA, maybe.

But he extorted the entire office. The DA, her assistants, the secretaries, the guy stocking the break room, and so on.

[jberryhill]

57. Ah, but you must apply Gaza-logic

Those people were being harmed by her refusal to resign.

[jeff47]

67. And if there was no other mechanism to remove her from office, that might work.

However, there are legal ways to remove a DA from office. Mr. Parry decided to use extortion instead, so that he could benefit by appointing the replacement.

[jberryhill]

71. J U R Y

Well, I guess the trial will only need a few minutes.

However, you are going to have to get a number (whatever number they use in Texas) of people to unanimously agree with you, and not a one among them who believes he was justified in using extraordinary means to get the crazy lady on the videotape out of office.

There are no facts in dispute.

[jeff47]

73. Not really that hard.

You point out Parry had legal options, and he didn't even try to use them.

Could always have a hyper-partisan who refuses to convict. But your entry into the thread is insisting there is absolutely no way to get a conviction under any circumstances.

[jberryhill]

74. What are these other options

I'm not aware of many states in which the Governor is empowered to remove a DA.

And if you can predict jury behavior, you are probably in the wrong occupation right now.

[jeff47]

79. Convict her of a crime that disqualifies her from office

if you want one that the state executive branch can do.

What's supposed to happen is the DA gets removed from office by the Travis county government.

[jberryhill]

85. Ummm....

That would require her committing one for which she would be removed from office, I would imagine.

I think you are missing the larger point here.

Get a roomful of people in Texas in which not a single one would be persuaded that "Getting rid of her was the right thing to do."

"Justification" is what is called an affirmative defense. It is "yeah, I stole the medicine, but there was a sick person who would die if they didn't get it".

Again, if you are trying to persuade me that what Perry did was an abuse of power, I don't know why you are trying. I agree with that.

However, I am not as much a psychic predictor of Texas juries as you are, so I bow to your superior ability in that regard.

[jeff47]

87. No, I'm not missing the point

You're just working very hard at bashing Texas.

That would require her committing one for which she would be removed from office, I would imagine.

Yep. Kinda indicates Parry was breaking the law in order to go after her.

Get a roomful of people in Texas in which not a single one would be persuaded that "Getting rid of her was the right thing to do."

So, Parry should have shot her? It would be getting rid of her.

No? A little too harsh? Then perhaps people in Texas will think there is a correct way to get rid of her, and an incorrect way to get rid of her.

[jberryhill]

89. "people in Texas will think"

I don't know how many juries you have dealt with, but the issue is not what "people in Texas think".

Let's say that only 8.3% of "people in Texas" would think Perry was justified.

Okay?

8.3% - that's a tiny minority of people in Texas who would agree with Perry on this.

Got that number?

Good. Remember, that's actually lower than the number of people who think W was the greatest president ever, just to give you some idea where on the bell curve we are here....

Now, I'm going to tell you that you need to convince 12 Texans, unanimously, that Perry was not justified.

Can you tell me, based on those two numbers, what are your odds of getting a conviction?

I'll give you a hint: 1/12 = .083

[jeff47]

92. And the reason you can tell you're wrong is politicians get convicted quite frequently.

You might remember there's a guy named Tom Delay. He got convicted by a jury. In Texas.

According to you, that is utterly and completely impossible.

Perhaps you should take a second to consider actual history instead of your caricature.

[jberryhill]

93. And DeLay's justification defense was.....?

You are comparing apples and oranges.

DeLay denied having engaged in a conspiracy to launder money for the purpose of evading campaign finance laws in order to fund a political campaign. DeLay was a representative from one district, and never won a statewide election in Texas for anything.

Perry admits doing the actions described for the purpose of getting rid of "that crazy drunk lady on the videotape".

Yes, Texas juries convict people for all kinds of shit all of the time.

It is, however, clear that you underestimate what it takes to get a roomful of people to unanimously agree with a proposition.

Where did I say it was not possible for him to be convicted? Nowhere.

I am saying that he has a very persuasive justification defense. Have you ever noticed how often juries in high-profile cases "get it wrong"?

[jeff47]

144. Ah yes, time to claim it's different

DeLay denied having engaged in a conspiracy to launder money for the purpose of evading campaign finance laws in order to fund a political campaign. DeLay was a representative from one district, and never won a statewide election in Texas for anything.

Your argument is that no Republican in Texas could be convicted because at least one juror is likely to be a hardcore Republican.

Doesn't matter what crime is claimed. You were arguing at least one would refuse to convict.

Where did I say it was not possible for him to be convicted? Nowhere.

Well, you could start with re-reading your post number 89. Where you make an elaborate show claiming it's mathematically impossible for him to be convicted.

I am saying that he has a very persuasive justification defense.

He's free to try it. But his justification defense has to also explain why he decided to use extortion instead of using a legal mechanism to disqualify or remove the DA from office.

Imagine a police officer comes across a robbery suspect. And decides to shoot the suspect multiple times instead of arresting him. Even though the suspect was not a threat to the officer. The cop was just taking down a criminal, right? A very persuasive justification defense. There'd never be days upon days of protests over the incident.

[Mr Pettibone]

110. They tried that

They filed some kind of suit to get her out of office but it failed.

[jeff47]

142. They tried one thing. There are others.

They tried to sue, but DUI conviction does not disqualify someone from being DA.

Much like the federal level, there's a body that can throw anyone out of office for whatever they feel like - impeachment doesn't actually have to be over a crime.

They didn't pursue that. Because it was going nowhere. Because the folks running Travis County didn't think it was worth throwing the DA out of office over DUI.

[jeff47]

33. And it still was not enough to disqualify her from the job.

Thus Perry had no legal reason to force her from office.

And when Perry punished everyone in the office, he broke Texas law.

Perry could have pursued impeachment or other mechanisms to remove her from office. He didn't. Instead, he decided to use extortion.

[Logical]

23. Let me simplify this for you....

Imagine him not releasing Medicare funds because the department head did not resign! Do you want the people punished because of his personal beef with someone? Get it now?

[dsc]

30. that kind of thing happens often

both at the federal and state level. Senators put holds on nominees and filibuster bills to get people to resign or change their behavior. Congress bans the spending of money on particular programs etc.

[jeff47]

35. Congress is not subject to Texas law. Perry is. (nt)

[Logical]

41. This is Texas where it is illegal! Are you a friend of perry? nt

[dsc]

43. No I am not

but the simple fact is no jury is going to convict on this. One look at the tape of this woman and the best we get is a hung jury. It will be even worse if she has anything at all to do with having brought this case.

[jeff47]

46. If he'd only harmed the DA, you'd have a point.

But prosecutors will be able to bring up every other person who worked in that office.

A jury may not like the DA, but they also aren't going to be thrilled with secretaries and other powerless people getting fucked over by Parry breaking the law.

[LanternWaste]

81. I guess we're all prophesying at this point. Some with more absolutism than others.

I guess we're all prophesying at this point. Some with more absolutism than others.

[Hippo_Tron]

118. Vetoing a bill and withholding funds are two different things entirely

If he had used executive authority to withhold funds that had been duly appropriated by the legislature, you'd have a pretty solid case against him. But the veto is a legislative power and the Governor is free to sign and veto bills as he sees fit. Prosecuting him for vetoing a bill is akin to prosecuting a state senator for voting a certain way on a bill.

[Ash_F]

31. That is not the mechanism for removing a DA.

Though I believe there should be better mechanisms, this is vigilantism.

[DhhD]

136. Changing out a DA is the job of the voters.

[herding cats]

26. Isn't that the definition of coercion?

He used threats to try and persuade someone to do something. Which isn't legal, even if it is done behind closed doors often enough. Then he followed through on those threats by defunding a state funded county program which investigates public corruption, insurance fraud, and motor fuels tax fraud. Which I think could be seen as an abuse of power in context of the reason.

[Hippo_Tron]

117. Had he used any other power than the veto, I'd agree with you

But the veto is the Governor's one legislative power and short of taking bribes for it, he can pretty much use it as he sees fit. You couldn't prosecute a state legislator for voting against this funding bill for the same reason and thus I don't think you can reasonably prosecute the Governor for vetoing it. Particularly since the legislature is empowered to override that veto if they find fault with the Governor's decision.

Had he used an executive power to try and coerce her, that would be a different matter entirely.

[Texasgal]

68. I have to agree somewhat.

This will go nowhere unfortunately.

And really Lehmberg should have resigned...public integrity and all that.

[DhhD]

138. The woman is not on trial. there are associate assistant DAs in the office.

[spanone]

32. k&r...

[edhopper]

36. Seigelman is still in jail

for so much less.

[KoKo]

56. Probably for Nothing Criminal...but, here we go....n/t

[randome]

37. To be fair, Perry is stupid.

No amount of eyewear can hide that.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[LanternWaste]

38. This is providential timing for Sen. Wendy Davis.

This is providential timing for Sen. Wendy Davis. She began using her campaign funds only last week to purchase air-time for the Gubernatorial race, and Abbott is part of the current good ol' boys network Perry is.

She can and should hammer the GOP hard with this.

[jberryhill]

39. Oops

[napkinz]

48. oops

[Suburban Warrior]

49. AWESOME!!

[Octafish]

51. Make way for Jebthro!

Eight More Years of Money Trumps Peace.

[BumRushDaShow]

52. K&R

[malaise]

53. This is huge

Rec

[NJCher]

55. hey, Texas!!

Have fun with your republican governor scandal!

We in NJ sure have had fun with ours!


Cher

[Avalux]

60. I'm giggling like a little girl.

The back story - after publicly promising to fund the Public Integrity Unit on two separate occasions, Perry threatened to withhold funds via veto if DA Lehmberg didn't resign after her DUI. She's a Dem and refused to resign as she knew he'd appoint a Republican - all very political. When she didn't resign, and wasn't forced to, he vetoed the funding he had previously promised.

If it hadn't all been so public, might not be a big deal. I think the timing of this is nothing but good news for Wendy Davis.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

62. Me too - and I'm not even female

[Mr Pettibone]

112. Me too

That asshat is so much Texas toast. At least as far as riding on the Gotp 2016 clown car. Can't wait to see his booking photo hit the interwebs.

[Thinkingabout]

63. Perry has been bullying people around for years. He thinks he is slick.

This is some of the same crap Chris Christie and gang has going. It is bribery plain and simple.

[Cha]

64. Kick thanks blogslut

[ErikJ]

65. And after 5 years of kangaroo ct investigations the GOP

hasnt come up with a single indictment on Obamas admin.

[pnwmom]

66. The real question is what this Office of Integrity was investigating

at the time Perry decided to use the excuse of the drunk driving conviction to pull all its funding.

You can bet he wouldn't have done this if a Rethug had faced the same charges.

[blogslut]

75. CPRIT

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2013-12-20/then-theres-this-the-big-c-stands-for-corruption/

[TexasTowelie]

104. Exactly!

Greg Abbott is also wrapped up in this since he was a board member on CPRIT and never attended a board meeting so his lack of oversight will definitely work against him in the governor's race.

[blogslut]

113. Mr. Abbott is going to spend a lot of time having to defend himself against his association w/CPRIT

Perry's indictment brings that whole thing to the forefront with a vengeance. Not to mention Abbott having to explain state monies that have been spent so far to defend Governor Goodhair in this case.

[riverwalker]

76. "Like many schemes, it started with vodka"

So how’d all this start?

Like many schemes, it started with vodka

http://www.texasobserver.org/everything-wanted-know-rick-perrys-new-scandal/

[npk]

82. I guess Perry can add another government agency to his list of things he would like to get rid of.

LOL. I would say I feel sorry for Perry, but lets face it the guy is a dirt bag.

[Cryptoad]

83. sweeeeeeeeeeet! nt

[El Shaman]

84. Wow!

Tommy Delay and Ricky Pee could dancing partners,

[geomon666]

86. Perp walk that son of a bitch!

I want to see it on every channel on the planet.

[rurallib]

88. Dammit, I had Christie in the "governor indicted first" pool.

Can't you do anything right Christie? You let this tin horn fake cowboy beat you????

[Chemisse]

90. This seems pretty similar to Chris Christie's bridge construction/payback

Although perhaps more serious, since he is actually being indicted.

I wonder if HE will refuse to resign and try to weather it out like Christie did.

I'd like to say that is it for his presidential ambitions, but it looks like Christie may still muster the support to run, so I guess anything is possible.

[Marrah_G]

91. whoa- really?

[Calista241]

94. So the DA who he wants to resign, and is withholding funds from, is also the DA who indicted him?

Sounds fishy tbh. I hope he goes, and the man is an idiot, but this whole situation sounds really sketchy.

[blogslut]

95. Incorrect

There was a special prosecutor and a grand jury - not the same DA at all.

[Avalux]

100. I'll second that.

Special prosecutor and grand jury makes it big. I honestly didn't expect an indictment.

[JaneyVee]

107. Grand jury indicts, not DA.

[AngryAmish]

131. ham sandwich, yada, yada, yada...

[femmocrat]

96. Best Friday night news dump ever!

Finally something to celebrate!

[Initech]

98. He can figure out the third branch he wants to cut in prison.

[L0oniX]

101. The comments about this on Daily Kos FB are a laugh riot.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/15/1322018/-Gov-Rick-Perry-indicted?detail=facebook

[anti partisan]

102. Great news, always a positive to see political scum get washed down the drain

I'd also like to see him prosecuted for the execution of innocents but we know that's never happening.

[Uncle Joe]

105. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, blogslut.

[3catwoman3]

108. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

-hawwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

109. All the Oops that's fit to print. :)

[GusBob]

111. oops

[ancianita]

114. Woohoo!! Best news all day!

[Rex]

115. GOOD! FUCK THAT CRIMINAL!

And the asshole repukes want to replace him with another one just like him! FUCK NO!

[catbyte]

116. Wow. Well, to quote the crooked bufoon himself, "Oops..."

[ReRe]

119. K&R

Couldn't have happened at a better time... re, approaching the gubernatorial election in a few months.

[Raine1967]

120. Governor Perry, meet Governor McDonnel... nt

[trublu992]

121. Is it wrong that this news has made me the happiest all week?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

123. and another one bites the dust

[Dopers_Greed]

124. An exact quote from his (updated) Wikipedia page:

"His recent indictment might constitute a threat to his presidential aspirations."

No fuckin' shit.

[C Moon]

126. If you or I committed a crime like this, what would happen? We'd go to prison for 20 years.

What will happen to Perry? Nothing.

[Veilex]

127. So let me make sure I've got this right...

Rick Perry threatened to defund the anti-corruption unit, because he thought someone was acting in a corrupt fashion? Add to that, the person is Female (strike one), Empowered as a District Attorney (empowered women?!?!? Oh that's strike two), and a Democrat (That's strike three! you're outta here!).

I'm sure Rick Perry would never commit a veto action that made absolutely no sense whatsoever purely for the political purpose of putting an empowered female Democrat squarely under heel... I'm sure there's a very good reason for doing what he did... and that he'll let us know... just as soon as his lawyers can figure out a way to lie their asses off in a believable way...

[VA_Jill]

133. Schadenfreude is SO wrong

but I think I sprained a cheek muscle trying not to smirk!

[Hugin]

135. Calm down everyone! I'm sure that by this evening, it will all be...

somehow Obama's fault.


--> <-- for those who need it.

[suffragette]

140. K&R

[merrily]

141. Oops.

[maced666]

143. If not convicted - this is at the least just good humor.

Funny as hell.