Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts

[41magsnub]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas/article/Perry-indicted-on-two-felony-charges-5691872.php?cmpid=bna

What is the hive mind?  Politically motivated obviously, but is there something there behind it?

[wmenorr67]

Can he pardon himself?

[vaskidmark]

Somebody thinks Perry has enough political traction to do something - either by resigning and running for the Senate or throwing his hat in as a contender for candidate for POTUS.

Texas (nor any other State's) politics are clean enough to do this as pure public outrage and upholding the majesty of the law.

Don't think he can pardon himself, but does anybody want to begin guessing what Nixon promised to do to Ford and his extended family if the ink was not dry on the pardon before HMX-1 became airborne?  If it comes to it I'm sure that whoever the Lt. Governor is will receive the same assurances.

stay safe.

[brimic]

This is the new tactic of the left- use the full power of a friendly DA's office in conjunction with the press in order to endlessly harass and smear prominent republicans.
In Wi, Scott Walker was investigated for 2 years under a 'john doe' investgation initiated by the milwaukee DA's office. Several republicans in key positions had their offices and homes ransacked with files and computers confiscated.  No charges were ever brought and the cases were eventually ordered shut down by higher courts. The goal was never to find a crime but to use the power of the legal system to make life a living hell for a lot of people.

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

[roo_ster]

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

Travis county.   

Eventually, the Travis County DA indicts every successful Texas Republican.  Given the timing, the Dems must think Perry is a greater threat than I do in 2016.

Even many of the Dems on my Twitter feed think this indictment is a reach. But, as with Scott Walker, the Democratic Deep State is trying a spoiling attack aimed at clearing the 2016 field.

But if threatening a veto is indictable, well, how many vetoes has Obama threatened?

Here is the fine civil servant Perry whose budget he threatened to veto if she did not resign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7y7oJ266qI
"I'm not drunk!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxsCH_p1oc

[dm1333]

The grand jury probe was triggered by a complaint filed by Texans for Public Justice, which tracks money in politics, after Perry said he would veto funding in the state budget for the Public Integrity Unit overseen by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned after a drunken-driving arrest.

Perry carried through on the veto when Lehmberg refused.

Rick Perry is an evil man for thinking the DA should be setting an example!  (I can see that there may have been different ways to handle this, but I think this one is purely political)

[Monkeyleg]

This is the new tactic of the left- use the full power of a friendly DA's office in conjunction with the press in order to endlessly harass and smear prominent republicans.
In Wi, Scott Walker was investigated for 2 years under a 'john doe' investgation initiated by the milwaukee DA's office. Several republicans in key positions had their offices and homes ransacked with files and computers confiscated.  No charges were ever brought and the cases were eventually ordered shut down by higher courts. The goal was never to find a crime but to use the power of the legal system to make life a living hell for a lot of people.

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

Let's go back a few more years in Wisconsin. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala is caught extorting millions of dollars from lobbyists. It's being laundered through the Democrat Party in Kansas, funneled to a Chvala-controlled group in DC, then sent back home to be given to loyal supporters of Chvala in their senate campaigns.

The FBI is looking at Chvala for interstate money laundering. He faces 19 felony counts, including 17 counts of extortion.

In steps loyal Democrat Milwaukee County DA Michael McCann. The grand jury never hears about the extortion. Chvala is charged with using a state employee on state time for campaigning. He gets 9 months of house arrest, meaning he can go to work, he can go shopping, and can have parties at his house. He is barred from being a lobbyist for three years (he's now a well-paid lobbyist to his old buddies).

The left's tactics isn't just to use the DA's and courts to harass and smear Republicans. It's also to use them to let Democrats walk.

[Brad Johnson]

It's so overtly rediculous that CNN has moved the story to page-two status after less than a day.  Speaks volumes, that.

Edit to add... Looks like they've also disabled comments in the main article.  I take that to mean they know the story will get soundly trounced in the court of public opinion and they don't want to chance the public butt-whuppin.

Brad

[HankB]

Travis county.  

Eventually, the Travis County DA indicts every successful Texas Republican.  

QFT.

The Travis County DA's office went after Tom DeLay (former House Majority Leader) too - it took a couple of grand juries, but they eventually got one to indict him for financial crimes. A Travis County jury convicted him, but the verdict was tossed on appeal. BUT . . . the DA's attack served its purpose, it drove a successful GOP Republican out of office.

Which was the entire point.

[brimic]

Let's go back a few more years in Wisconsin. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala is caught extorting millions of dollars from lobbyists. It's being laundered through the Democrat Party in Kansas, funneled to a Chvala-controlled group in DC, then sent back home to be given to loyal supporters of Chvala in their senate campaigns.

The FBI is looking at Chvala for interstate money laundering. He faces 19 felony counts, including 17 counts of extortion.

In steps loyal Democrat Milwaukee County DA Michael McCann. The grand jury never hears about the extortion. Chvala is charged with using a state employee on state time for campaigning. He gets 9 months of house arrest, meaning he can go to work, he can go shopping, and can have parties at his house. He is barred from being a lobbyist for three years (he's now a well-paid lobbyist to his old buddies).

The left's tactics isn't just to use the DA's and courts to harass and smear Republicans. It's also to use them to let Democrats walk.

I remember that. Chvala was too slimy to make it as a used car salesman. Iirc, a republucan, Jensen, was punished a lot harder around the same time for much more minor campaign finance infractions.

The current DA , Chisolm, is just as corrupt as McCann was, he wouldn't be part if the milwaukee political machine if he weren't

[BobR]

Perry suggested Lehmberg had lost the public's confidence when he vetoed the money. If she had resigned, Perry would have named her successor until the next election.

Bold is mine.

IMO, this had a lot to do with it. A conservative DA in Travis County, that wouldn't fly at all. :(

bob

[roo_ster]

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/08/16/travis-county-da-rosemary-lehmbergs-drinking-problem-and-abuse-of-power-by-the-staggering-numbers/

The indictment of Gov. Rick Perry by a grand jury in Travis County, Texas, is part of a power struggle that originates with a serious crime, albeit not one committed by Gov. Perry.

That crime, as everyone knows by now, is drunk driving, and it was committed by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.

When Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, Democrat, was arrested and charged with drunk driving on April 12, 2013, her blood alcohol level measured .23.

That is just shy of three times the legal limit in Texas, which is .08.

According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Lehmberg must have consumed about 10 alcoholic drinks in one hour to achieve a .23 blood alcohol rating.

District Attorney Lehmberg also had an open bottle of vodka in her car, violating Texas’ longstanding open container law.

From January 2012 to April 2013 — 15 months — Lehmberg made 59 purchases of alcohol at various Twin Liquors stores, a rate of nearly one purchase a week.

She bought 76 bottles of alcohol. According to the receipts, Lehmberg prefers Ciroc vodka. Lehmberg routinely purchased 1.75 liter bottles of vodka, at a price of nearly $60 each. On occasions, she bought more than one 1.75 liter bottle of Ciroc at a time.

Those 76 bottles add up to 24.7 gallons of alcohol purchased over 15 months. The last purchase in the KEYE-compiled list was on April 2, 2013 — 10 days before her arrest for drunk driving, and the subsequent attempt to abuse her power by trying to intimidate the officers who proces

Lehmberg refused to resign as Travis County DA, a position that also puts her atop the Public Integrity Unit.

[sumpnz]

That's an average of 7oz of vodka per DAY, just from that chain of stores.

[Phantom Warrior]

That's an average of 7oz of vodka per DAY, just from that chain of stores.

I'm not defending her DUI or her other actions.  But that's only about five standard drinks per day.  Less than a six pack of beer per day.  To a functioning alcoholic, that's not all that much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_drink

[sumpnz]

Do you honestly think that's all she drinks on a typical day?  That doesn't count what bought at other chain stores/grocery stores, drank at bars, drank at a friend's, etc. 

[roo_ster]

I'm not defending her DUI or her other actions.  But that's only about five standard drinks per day.  Less than a six pack of beer per day.  To a functioning alcoholic, that's not all that much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_drink

She amy not make a good-looking corpse, but the undertaker will find her pre-embalmed.

[Fly320s]

1. Was the female DA convicted of DUI?

2. How did her purchases of alcohol become public? Search warrant?

[roo_ster]

1. Was the female DA convicted of DUI?

2. How did her purchases of alcohol become public? Search warrant?

1. Yes.  She lost her law license for a number of months and there was some other bar-assoc/lawyerly sanction.

2. Not sure. 

[Fly320s]

1. Yes.  She lost her law license for a number of months and there was some other bar-assoc/lawyerly sanction.

2. Not sure. 

Debarred for a few months?  That's it?  You gotta love lawyers protecting lawyers.

[Ben]

Perry's mugshot from today. Whatever you think of the guy politically, I think he's gonna stomp his opponents on this one. I think he's actually enjoying the whole thing.

[sumpnz]

Should've gone in wearing a T-shirt with that DA's booking photo on it.

[Ben]

Should've gone in wearing a T-shirt with that DA's booking photo on it.

That would have been hilarious! 

[Cliffh]

Perry's mugshot from today. Whatever you think of the guy politically, I think he's gonna stomp his opponents on this one. I think he's actually enjoying the whole thing.

Some are saying that this will kill any chances of a run at the presidency, having an indictment for a couple of felonies won't be good.

I'm not sure which way it'd go nationally.  Seems as if some would like his position on this and appreciate the ass-whoopin' he puts on the DA.  Others, not so much.   Might end up being a wash.

Personally, I don't see this as much of a problem for his future.

[SADShooter]

He's got bigger electability issues, such as his 2012 debate vapor lock.

[Tallpine]

A mug shot might improve his popularity with black voters