Remember Rick Perry?
The prosecution of the former Texas governor on charges of coercion and abuse of office charges is clearly stated and legally justified, prosecutors reiterated for the third time Monday.
Perry’s lawyers have continually challenged the indictment, first questioning whether it is constitutionally allowed, then questioning the procedures used to obtain it and now if it is detailed enough to allow them to prepare a proper defense.
Prosecutors have denied all three efforts by Perry’s lawyers, including this one, saying the language is clear and the indictment says exactly what Perry did illegal as a state official to be indicted.
Arguing that Perry needs more specificity to understand what he did illegally “is not only remarkable but legally dubious,” the prosecutors wrote.
Perry was indicted last August for misusing his veto power to try and force an elected official — Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg — from office. Once Lehmberg was out of office, Perry would have been able to name her replacement.
After pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge in 2013, Lehmberg said she would not seek re-election, but Perry said he lost faith in her ability to run her office and should step down from the Public Integrity Unit, which investigates corruption by state lawmakers. Thus, Perry said that unless she resigned, he would veto $7.5 million appropriated to her office; She did not and he vetoed the money.
Lehmberg has since recused herself from the case, which is now being overseen by San Antonio prosecutor Michael McCrum.
Perry, the longest serving governor in Texas history, did not seek re-election to his fourth term in 2014, instead planned to retire. He is rumored to be preparing to launch another White House bid, though his indictment has slowed his efforts down considerably.
(H/T Dallas Morning News)
