Rick Perry indicted for 2 felonies (1 Viewer)

[sublimeone]

TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY LEHMBERG'S BOOKING FOOTAGE: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s7y7oJ266qI

 

[Mario Kart]

Ok, so we have a governor wanting a prosecutor in charge of the public integrity unit to step down because of her DUI arrest. That's reasonable - you don't deserve to be the head of the Public Integrity Unit unit if you act that way (but she is Democrat and the standards here are evidently different for her). He says he will veto her budget if she doesn't. She doesn't, so he uses his constitutionally granted authority to veto. Then the DA in this Democratic district indicts him using a law that hasn't been used since 1917.

Yeah - this sounds legit.

Have to agree. Perry is a Tea Party doofus, but this sounds like BS to me.

Anyone think this sounds familiar? A Democratic DA abusing his authority to try and indict a GOP Governor?

We here in WI have gone thru this for something like 3 years now until a Federal court stopped it in it's tracks for an abuse of power by the DA.

Yeah the judge who has been sucking off the Kochs teat for years is really the hero here. Sure it has nothing to do with all the junkets they have paid for him to attend and their ties to the donors in question. Nah no conflict of interest there.

Oh, boy. Here we go with the "Koch" brothers nonsense. You got anything besides far-left talking points?

Why don't you look at this objectively?

Catch up on all the latest, up-to-date, information here.

https://twitter.com/cr8f

 

[whitem0nkey]

He is scheduled to be on fox news Sunday, I just saw the ad now on Fox News. I wonder if something will come up and he has to cancel.

 

[MaxThreshold]

Ok, so we have a governor wanting a prosecutor in charge of the public integrity unit to step down because of her DUI arrest. That's reasonable - you don't deserve to be the head of the Public Integrity Unit unit if you act that way (but she is Democrat and the standards here are evidently different for her). He says he will veto her budget if she doesn't. She doesn't, so he uses his constitutionally granted authority to veto. Then the DA in this Democratic district indicts him using a law that hasn't been used since 1917.

Yeah - this sounds legit.

Have to agree. Perry is a Tea Party doofus, but this sounds like BS to me.

Anyone think this sounds familiar? A Democratic DA abusing his authority to try and indict a GOP Governor?

We here in WI have gone thru this for something like 3 years now until a Federal court stopped it in it's tracks for an abuse of power by the DA.

Yeah the judge who has been sucking off the Kochs teat for years is really the hero here. Sure it has nothing to do with all the junkets they have paid for him to attend and their ties to the donors in question. Nah no conflict of interest there.

Oh, boy. Here we go with the "Koch" brothers nonsense. You got anything besides far-left talking points?

Why don't you look at this objectively?

Catch up on all the latest, up-to-date, information here.

https://twitter.com/cr8f

That's good stuff right there. It never gets old.

 

[Guest]

Lehmberg footage shows everything wrong with abusing power. She should have resigned and taken accountability for the bullying and threats she made in response to her very warranted arrest. As a Travis County resident, I kind of liked the strong arming of this embarrassment of a District Attorney. If she had a shred of dignity, this wouldn't have been an issue. She would have resigned.

In the video, she was suggesting that the County Sheriff should intervene on her behalf, in opposition to the legal system,

Perry likely overstepped, but to hell with this representing any kind of victory. Lehmberg acted like an entitled tyrant.

This is all very much political.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

How the hell is this an indictment?

 

[MaxThreshold]

How the hell is this an indictment?

No way it stands up in court.

 

[apalmer]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

 

[Henry Ford]

How the hell is this an indictment?

Because he attempted to use his office to force an elected official to resign. If Obama tried to veto payroll for Congress until Mitch McConnell resigned, that would be abuse of office.

 

[Todd Andrews]

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

Except that is actually the law in Texas for government officials.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

I don't think that works either. Was this woman elected?

 

[Henry Ford]

I don't think that works either. Was this woman elected?

Yes.

 

[Rich Conway]

He was going to be indicted for three felonies, but nobody could remember the third one. (Oops.)

Ladies and gentlemen, reason 8 billion that MT is the cleverest guy around.

I am one hundred percent sure that this is hilarious, given the source. Unfortunately, I don't get the reference.

 

[Abraham]

A grand jury in a heavily republican state indicted him. He has some trouble on his hands.

 

[Todd Andrews]

Why are they harassing the nice gay governor of Texas?

 

[Yankee23Fan]

I don't think that works either. Was this woman elected?

Yes.

Ah... Yeah that's a little different as opposed to a cabinet member.

 

[bigbottom]

He was going to be indicted for three felonies, but nobody could remember the third one. (Oops.)

Ladies and gentlemen, reason 8 billion that MT is the cleverest guy around.

I am one hundred percent sure that this is hilarious, given the source. Unfortunately, I don't get the reference.

http://youtu.be/ByGf8lP87HU

 

[timschochet]

I dunno. I suppose, on paper, that threatening to veto unless the other person resigns is an abuse of power, but it seems kind of a minor one, the sort of thing you might be censured for, or criticized for, or even recalled for if it's bad enough, but hardly worthy of indictment or jail time.

From the news reports, Psrry took this action openly: he didn't do it secretly and then try to cover it up, as a criminal would over a corrupt act. That indicates to me that his action was a political decision, and indicting him was a political decision. I think this whole thing is ugly partisan nonsense that doesn't belong in our court system.

 

[Henry Ford]

I dunno. I suppose, on paper, that threatening to veto unless the other person resigns is an abuse of power, but it seems kind of a minor one, the sort of thing you might be censured for, or criticized for, or even recalled for if it's bad enough, but hardly worthy of indictment or jail time.

From the news reports, Psrry took this action openly: he didn't do it secretly and then try to cover it up, as a criminal would over a corrupt act. That indicates to me that his action was a political decision, and indicting him was a political decision. I think this whole thing is ugly partisan nonsense that doesn't belong in our court system.

Yes, because when a politician is overtly corrupt and violating the law, that's better than trying to hide it. It doesn't at all mean that he knows his party controls the political climate in his state and no one but the courts can touch him.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

How the hell is this an indictment?

Because he attempted to use his office to force an elected official to resign. If Obama tried to veto payroll for Congress until Mitch McConnell resigned, that would be abuse of office.

Been thinking about this one.

I lived in Austin, totally not surprised this happened.

There's the fact this lady DA was a disgrace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7y7oJ266qI

And then there's the fact that you've got that county now taking out revenge on the governor and protecting their own. County/Parish prosecutorial power can be pretty dictatorial in its own right. See Jim Garrison for that.

But I agree with you in principle, yet I also have a question apropos to your question:

How is this different from a President (say Obama) who offers rewards in return for support or political favors?

This happens pretty frequently, no? Blagojevich/Emanuel/Jarrett come to mind, so does the Joe Sestak incident.

Union leader Tom Balanoff testified that Obama called him the day before the Nov. 4, 2008 presidential election to give him the green light in discussing Valerie Jarrett's candidacy for the Senate seat with Blagojevich. Blagojevich later asked Balanoff to send word that he wanted a cabinet appointment and subsequently, asked for a foundation to be set up in exchange for Jarrett's appointment.Balanoff said he told Jarrett about the cabinet appointment request.

Senior White House advisers asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Joe Sestak about whether he was serious about running for Senate, and to feel out whether he'd be open to other alternatives, according to sources familiar with the situation. ... According to the sources, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel asked Clinton and his longtime adviser, lawyer Doug Band, to talk to Sestak about the race. It's unclear right now whether the White House will say that Clinton was asked to suggest specific administration positions for Sestak ... But the news that Clinton is at the center of this whole story is noteworthy on its own because of the former president's stature, and underscores how heavily invested the White House was in dissuading Sestak from running. The White House sent Clinton to talk to Sestak because Arlen Specter, constituting the 60th Dem vote in the Senate, was viewed as key to enacting Obama's agenda.

It seems to me these kinds of situations of quid pro quo (Obama using his office for political or personal gain) are more common and more troubling. I'm a big believer that politicians should be prosecuted for "abuse of office", I agree with that. But that should apply to the carrots as well as the sticks, shouldn't it?

 

[Sam Quentin]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

A special prosecutor spent months calling witnesses and presenting evidence that Perry broke the law when he promised publicly to nix $7.5 million over two years for the public integrity unit run by the office of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. Lehmberg, a Democrat, was convicted of drunken driving, but refused Perry's calls to resign.

I'm all for the abuse of office provision being used here and elsewhere, but question:

- what what would be the personal or political advantage to Perry of cutting the Travis County DA Public Integrity Unit? Seems like if anyone would be happy about that it would be Lehmberg, because a DA who had committed a crime and abused law enforcement officials after her arrest would be directly the subject of such a unit.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

 

[whitem0nkey]

17 GIFs of the drunk DA

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

17 GIFs of the drunk DA

Quite the Rob Ford there.

 

[Sam Quentin]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

not really

If I take a position that I won't fund a program if David Duke is running it, how could that be considered illegal or even wrong?

 

[MaxThreshold]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

not really

How is it not a good answer? Christo asked how a threat to do something legal can be illegal, and apalmer gave an example of exactly that.

If I take a position that I won't fund a program if David Duke is running it, how could that be considered illegal or even wrong?

I don't know; I guess it would depend on whatever statutes may apply. You realize you're changing the subject here, right?

 

[Todd Andrews]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

 

[Guest]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

What's being said is that using powers to cut off funds would be in bounds. Threatening to do so if someone doesn't resign (while a pragmatic way to encourage that) appears to be an overstep.

I liked it when he did it, because the POS DA should have had enough dignity to resign prior.

But what I personally appreciated and the law appear to differ.

 

[msommer]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

A special prosecutor spent months calling witnesses and presenting evidence that Perry broke the law when he promised publicly to nix $7.5 million over two years for the public integrity unit run by the office of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. Lehmberg, a Democrat, was convicted of drunken driving, but refused Perry's calls to resign.

I'm all for the abuse of office provision being used here and elsewhere, but question:

- what what would be the personal or political advantage to Perry of cutting the Travis County DA Public Integrity Unit? Seems like if anyone would be happy about that it would be Lehmberg, because a DA who had committed a crime and abused law enforcement officials after her arrest would be directly the subject of such a unit.

Did you read the bit abut what (and who) they were investigating at the time?

(Hint: the guy threatening...)

 

[Sam Quentin]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

not really

How is it not a good answer? Christo asked how a threat to do something legal can be illegal, and apalmer gave an example of exactly that.

If I take a position that I won't fund a program if David Duke is running it, how could that be considered illegal or even wrong?

I don't know; I guess it would depend on whatever statutes may apply. You realize you're changing the subject here, right?

If I send an email to a Texas legislator and say I won't vote for them if they take a position allowing creationism to be taught in public schools, have I committed a felony?

It just defies common sense

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

Yeah I saw that, but doesn't every state? Don't the feds have that?

The last time the TX law was applied was around 1917 when the Governor sought to remove staff and teachers at UT because he did not approve of them.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

A special prosecutor spent months calling witnesses and presenting evidence that Perry broke the law when he promised publicly to nix $7.5 million over two years for the public integrity unit run by the office of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. Lehmberg, a Democrat, was convicted of drunken driving, but refused Perry's calls to resign.

I'm all for the abuse of office provision being used here and elsewhere, but question:

- what what would be the personal or political advantage to Perry of cutting the Travis County DA Public Integrity Unit? Seems like if anyone would be happy about that it would be Lehmberg, because a DA who had committed a crime and abused law enforcement officials after her arrest would be directly the subject of such a unit.

Did you read the bit abut what (and who) they were investigating at the time?

(Hint: the guy threatening...)

Wow. No sir, I did not. That is important, I agree.

 

[Guest]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

not really

How is it not a good answer? Christo asked how a threat to do something legal can be illegal, and apalmer gave an example of exactly that.

If I take a position that I won't fund a program if David Duke is running it, how could that be considered illegal or even wrong?

I don't know; I guess it would depend on whatever statutes may apply. You realize you're changing the subject here, right?

If I send an email to a Texas legislator and say I won't vote for them if they take a position allowing creationism to be taught in public schools, have I committed a felony?

It just defies common sense

Better analogy would be "give me $100 or I'll bite or your opponent." Still, not voting for someone is a world different than theatening to fire them from an elected office.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

At the time of Mr. Perry’s veto last year, prosecutors in the unit had been investigating a state agency called the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The agency — one of Mr. Perry’s signature initiatives — came under scrutiny by state lawmakers after accusations of mismanagement and corruption; a former official there was indicted last year for his handling of an $11 million grant.

- NYT

Well that is interesting.

- They were investigating Perry too?

 

[Guest]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

Yeah I saw that, but doesn't every state? Don't the feds have that?

The last time the TX law was applied was around 1907 when the Governor sought to remove staff and teachers at UT because he did not approve of them.

if Perry was going to go down this road, why is Rick Barnes still coaching the men's UT basketball team?

 

[Sam Quentin]

At the time of Mr. Perry’s veto last year, prosecutors in the unit had been investigating a state agency called the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The agency — one of Mr. Perry’s signature initiatives — came under scrutiny by state lawmakers after accusations of mismanagement and corruption; a former official there was indicted last year for his handling of an $11 million grant.

- NYT

Well that is interesting.

- They were investigating Perry too?

that's their sole raison d'etre...

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

Yeah I saw that, but doesn't every state? Don't the feds have that?

The last time the TX law was applied was around 1907 when the Governor sought to remove staff and teachers at UT because he did not approve of them.

if Perry was going to go down this road, why is Rick Barnes still coaching the men's UT basketball team?

"Damnit governor, use your power for the public good!"

 

[Todd Andrews]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

Yeah I saw that, but doesn't every state? Don't the feds have that?

The last time the TX law was applied was around 1907 when the Governor sought to remove staff and teachers at UT because he did not approve of them.

Not that I am aware, other states and the feds dont (they may, I have just never heard of a such a specific statute like this Texas statute). And I think you guys are pretty confused about some basic facts. That public integrity unit is for the entire state, if I am not mistaken, and set up by state statute there. The GOP has been trying to defund it for years and years because it is a Democratic county. So it isnt Perry trying to defund a division of one county's DA office, it is Perry trying to defund the public integrity investigators for the state of Texas, who were investigating him, his cronies and his political allies. And he was doing it before that dummy DA got the DUI and acted like an asz, and he still tried to do it after he vetoed. He told her AFTER he vetoed the funding that he would replace some of it if she quit. If I were a Texas voter, I would be concerned with those kinds of political games being played with the funding and staffing of what sounds like one of the few groups who can investigate abuse of power in the whole state. And it sounds like that Texas statute was specifically written to prevent just this type of stuff.

 

[Todd Andrews]

At the time of Mr. Perrys veto last year, prosecutors in the unit had been investigating a state agency called the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The agency one of Mr. Perrys signature initiatives came under scrutiny by state lawmakers after accusations of mismanagement and corruption; a former official there was indicted last year for his handling of an $11 million grant.

- NYT

Well that is interesting.

- They were investigating Perry too?

Can't believe I'm defending Perry, but I'm not buying this. I think he wanted to have Lehmberg resign, replace her with a Democrat and approve the funding. If the POS DA had just resigned for the greater good, it's business as usual.

That is ridiculous. The GOP had been trying to defund and/or move that office out of that county to a GOP county for years and years. And they still are. The DUI was just a great excuse.

 

[Guest]

At the time of Mr. Perrys veto last year, prosecutors in the unit had been investigating a state agency called the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The agency one of Mr. Perrys signature initiatives came under scrutiny by state lawmakers after accusations of mismanagement and corruption; a former official there was indicted last year for his handling of an $11 million grant.

- NYT

Well that is interesting.

- They were investigating Perry too?

Can't believe I'm defending Perry, but I'm not buying this. I think he wanted to have Lehmberg resign, replace her with a Democrat and approve the funding. If the POS DA had just resigned for the greater good, it's business as usual.

That is ridiculous. The GOP had been trying to defund and/or move that office out of that county to a GOP county for years and years. And they still are. The DUI was just a great excuse.

Retracted after I read your last post.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

Yeah I saw that, but doesn't every state? Don't the feds have that?

The last time the TX law was applied was around 1907 when the Governor sought to remove staff and teachers at UT because he did not approve of them.

Not that I am aware, other states and the feds dont (they may, I have just never heard of a such a specific statute like this Texas statute). And I think you guys are pretty confused about some basic facts. That public integrity unit is for the entire state, if I am not mistaken, and set up by state statute there. The GOP has been trying to defund it for years and years because it is a Democratic county. So it isnt Perry trying to defund a division of one county's DA office, it is Perry trying to defund the public integrity investigators for the state of Texas, who were investigating him, his cronies and his political allies. And he was doing it before that dummy DA got the DUI and acted like an asz, and he still tried to do it after he vetoed. He told her AFTER he vetoed the funding that he would replace some of it if she quit. If I were a Texas voter, I would be concerned with those kinds of political games being played with the funding and staffing of what sounds like one of the few groups who can investigate abuse of power in the whole state. And it sounds like that Texas statute was specifically written to prevent just this type of stuff.

Interesting stuff. I was thinking it was a Travis County thing. Not quite sure I understand why it falls under the County DA though if it's statewide.

But if the governor's programs and the governor were subject to its jurisdiction he had no business going near its funding.

Sounds like something that would happen in LA.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Am I off base in thinking that news articles reporting on this situation should quote the statutes being invoked? I just Googled the story and none of the results did that.

In any case, here's the abuse of official capacity section. And here's the coercion of public servant section.

Under the first statute, the state would have to prove that Rick Perry misused government property, services, or personnel with the intention of harming Rosemary Lehmberg. That seems like a stretch. Does his veto pen count as government property? Does executing a veto count as misusing a veto pen?

Under the second statute, the state would have to prove that Rick Perry attempted to coercively influence Rosemary Lehmberg to resign. That also seems like a stretch. In my view, vetoes don't amount to coercion.

I haven't read any of the cases interpreting those statutes (or other statutes that may define terms like "coercion").

 

[Todd Andrews]

The way I understand it, there was nothing wrong with the veto. Using the threat of a veto to try to coerce an elected official into resigning is what got him indicted.

yep

having an R after his name got him indicted

That corrupt POS DA needs to be frog-marched into the nearest prison

We're used to corrupt Democrat DA's in WI. just ask Scott Walker. they've been trying to nail him for 3 or 4 years now by abusing the "John Doe". A Federal judge finally put a stop to it all.

We had a local coroner down here. Maybe Henry knows of him, in St. Tammany Parish.

He got caught basically granting himself raises and doing all kinds of misfeasance/malfeasance.

The local parish council voted to cut off his funds and take over control of his office. He later got indicted. In Toronto, they did the same thing with Rob Ford. I have no idea why the Perry situation is any different.

Well, Texas has a law that expressly says you cant do it. But other than that...

Yeah I saw that, but doesn't every state? Don't the feds have that?

The last time the TX law was applied was around 1907 when the Governor sought to remove staff and teachers at UT because he did not approve of them.

Not that I am aware, other states and the feds dont (they may, I have just never heard of a such a specific statute like this Texas statute). And I think you guys are pretty confused about some basic facts. That public integrity unit is for the entire state, if I am not mistaken, and set up by state statute there. The GOP has been trying to defund it for years and years because it is a Democratic county. So it isnt Perry trying to defund a division of one county's DA office, it is Perry trying to defund the public integrity investigators for the state of Texas, who were investigating him, his cronies and his political allies. And he was doing it before that dummy DA got the DUI and acted like an asz, and he still tried to do it after he vetoed. He told her AFTER he vetoed the funding that he would replace some of it if she quit. If I were a Texas voter, I would be concerned with those kinds of political games being played with the funding and staffing of what sounds like one of the few groups who can investigate abuse of power in the whole state. And it sounds like that Texas statute was specifically written to prevent just this type of stuff.

Interesting stuff. I was thinking it was a Travis County thing. Not quite sure I understand why it falls under the County DA though if it's statewide.

But if the governor's programs and the governor were subject to its jurisdiction he had no business going near its funding.

Sounds like something that would happen in LA.

It is a strange setup and one they dont have where I live. But for whatever reason, it appears that in Texas, where government decentralization rules, that the state legislature decided to house the state public integrity unit in the DAs office in the state capitol county (Austin/St Travis County). As far as I know, that sounds like something the attorney general would handle elsewhere.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

not really

How is it not a good answer? Christo asked how a threat to do something legal can be illegal, and apalmer gave an example of exactly that.

If I take a position that I won't fund a program if David Duke is running it, how could that be considered illegal or even wrong?

I don't know; I guess it would depend on whatever statutes may apply. You realize you're changing the subject here, right?

If I send an email to a Texas legislator and say I won't vote for them if they take a position allowing creationism to be taught in public schools, have I committed a felony?

Probably not. I still don't see what that has to do with whether apalmer's answer was accurate.

 

[Abraham]

Wouldn't the veto amount to punitive action?

 

[Christo]

How can threatening to do something you are allowed to do be a crime?

You have a right to report your neighbor's criminal behavior to the police. If, instead, you tell your neighbor that you're going to report her unless she performs certain acts for you, it's called extortion.

Doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a good analogy.

But it seems like a darn good answer to the question that was asked.

Yes and no. The fact that it may be a crime doesn't explain why it is a crime. Kinda like how can growing a plant in your back yard and smoking it in your living room be a crime?