Republicans regularly commit crimes while in office, but they do so only on days that begin with the letter T. That’s Tuesday, Thursdays, Taturday, Tunday, Today and Tomorrow. However they are rarely called to account for their crimes as David “Diaper Dave” Vitter (R-LA) will attest. However, a Grand Jury has handed down incitements against Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) that could send him to prison for up to 99 years, even though I doubt that he’ll ever serve a day.
A grand jury indicted Gov. Rick Perry on two felony counts on Friday, charging that he abused his power last year when he tried to pressure the district attorney here, a Democrat, to step down by threatening to cut off state financing to her office.
The indictment left Mr. Perry, a Republican, the first Texas governor in nearly 100 years to face criminal charges and presented a major roadblock to his presidential ambitions at the very time that he had been showing signs of making a comeback.
Grand jurors in Travis County charged Mr. Perry with abusing his official capacity and coercing a public servant, according to Michael McCrum, the special prosecutor assigned to the case.
The long-simmering case has centered on Mr. Perry’s veto power as governor. His critics asserted that he used that power as leverage to try to get an elected official — Rosemary Lehmberg, the district attorney in Travis County — to step down after her arrest on a drunken-driving charge last year. Ms. Lehmberg is Austin’s top prosecutor and oversees a powerful public corruption unit that investigates state, local and federal officials; its work led to the 2005 indictment of a former Republican congressman, Tom DeLay, on charges of violating campaign finance laws… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <NY Times>
Now it’s true that Perry does have the right as governor to use a line item veto for items in the Texas budget, but he does not have the right to use that veto as a threat to prevent other elected officials from representing the people that elected them.
Rachel Maddow provided excellent coverage of Perry’s crimes.
In closing, 99 years is not enough hard time, but if he does go to prison, I think justice will be served, if he is the bottom, and his prison lover (below) is the top:
12 Responses to “99 Years Is Too Little!”
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I am not a big fan of drunk driving, but if anyone thinks that Perry would have funded the Public Integrity Unit if she had resigned, I would be interested to know what you are smoking. Therefore I think she did the right thing. It's not just about her. It's about the people of Texas.
If her DUI was a recurring problem, that would be different.
I live in Illinois, which has prosecuted several Governors, Congresspeople, innocent bystanders, nosy neighbors, etc.. We even do it more than once if the outcome isn't what RepubliCONs wanted the first time (double jeopardy is the last round of a TV show, means nothing otherwise). But 99 years is "just a number", so I'm sure someone will Take a number & everything will be taken care of!
IL was prosecuting Democrats. That's why.
CREW: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
From the list of WORST GOVERNORS:
http://www.citizensforethics.org/worst-governors-in-america/entry/rick-perry-texas
They say don’t mess with Texas, but Gov. Perry’s record is a mess.
Gov. Perry has appointed hundreds of campaign donors to state posts and, in turn, raised millions of dollars in campaign funds from his appointees and their spouses. Gov. Perry has used multimillion-dollar state programs created to lure businesses and jobs to Texas as slush funds to reward his political allies and donors.
In contrast to his predecessors, Gov. Perry does not disclose the details of his daily schedule or list guests who stay overnight at the governor’s mansion. Additionally, since January 2011, Gov. Perry has taken advantage of an obscure provision in Texas law that allows him to “double-dip,” collecting a state pension in addition to his governor’s salary.
Succeeded to the governorship in 2000; elected to a full term in 2002 and reelected in 2006 and 2010; not seeking re-election in 2014
Used multimillion-dollar state programs as slush funds to reward political allies and donors
Flouts transparency by obscuring his security costs and daily schedule and deleting official emails every seven days
Double-dips by collecting a state pension while simultaneously drawing a salary as governor
The people have already rejected Rick "oops" Perry as a viable candidate for the nomination for the office of President.
Note that of the 15 least ethical governors they list, all but two are Republicans.
I highly doubt that Oops Perry will be found guilty which is a shame because he deserves that and more. He'll find a way, legal or otherwise, to slither out of the noose which is too bad because Texas is not, contrary to what he thinks, his own personal fiefdom.
One can only hope though that Perry will do prison time. Maybe he can get an adjoining cell to former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and they can commiserate over their Republicanus/Teabagger Kool-aid.
I wonder if any of this will rub off on Greg Abbott's Republicanus/Teabagger butt as he tries for the governor's chair? Hmmmmm . . . Texas, vote for Wendy Davis!
I'd still rather see him grtting punked bu PIGnocchio!! 😈
Tricky Rick has been finally caught in something he can't easily brush off. I heard today that there were no democrats involved in the indictment, so he can't claim politics as the reason. I do not condone drunk driving, but the woman served her time and paid her fines and has evidently been good at her job. It is obvious he wanted her out so he could nominate a Repub to fill the post and drop all investigations of corruption of his administration.
Exactly, except hw
ewould not habe to nominate her replacement. He just appoint one of his criminal cronies. That's what you meant, right?
Yes, it was