Texas Gov. Rick Perry has hired a high-profile Austin defense lawyer to represent him in an investigation into whether he illegally withheld money from the Travis County District Attorney’s office.
KVUE News and the Austin American-Statesman confirmed Sunday evening the hiring of David L. Botsford.
The hiring comes as a special Travis County grand jury is set to be seated Monday to hear evidence into whether Perry broke state laws concerning bribery, coercion and abuse of authority.
Perry had threatened to withhold the money from Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigns after her drunken driving arrest in April 2013.
When she refused, Perry in June vetoed a state budget item that would have given a $7.5 million allocation to the Public Integrity Unit in the District Attorney’s Office. The unit investigates ethics violations against public officials.
Botsford said Sunday night, “The matter at hand pertains to the power of the governor to issue vetoes as allowed under the Texas Constitution. I have been retained to ensure that (the special prosecutor) receives all the facts, which will show that the governor’s veto was carried out in both the spirit and the letter of the law.”
Huh... Huh... Whoops! I need a lawyer.
Joking aside, I find it interesting that Perry feels the need to lawyer up so quickly. Feeling threatened are we pretty boy?
"it takes two sides to end a war but only one to start one. And those who do not have swords may still die upon them." Tolken
Might just be trying to get the news item buried quickly so it doesn't drag into a scandal, or just the standard whiff-of-scandal procedure.
Not that I am by any means or stretch of the imagination defending Perry. Can't wait for that shithead to be gone, and I'm even generously not trying to fob him off on the rest of the country, as per the time-honored Texas tradition for getting rid of our shitty pols by exporting them to DC.
