the Governor of Texas is now under investigation, so far for abuse of power, as he vetoed funding for the Ethics enforcement unit be ause the Democratic DA of Travis County refused to resign after a DWI.
Perry, who easily rivals some of our native dipshits, threatened to veto the bill that funds the unit -- the same unit that brought down Tom DeLay -- if DA Rosemary Lehmberg didn't resign. It would have left HIM to appoint a new District Attorney to police him and the Texas Legislature.
When he made the threat, people hit the high notes nationwide. Lehmberg, who did her time, went to rehab, apologized to the people of Texas and complied with every aspect of "paying her debt to society," refused to step down.
Perry vetoed the bill.
You folks think shit rolls downhill from Washington? WRONG!!!
Here's the story of one dipshit's arrogance and a use of power:
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/s...to-vow/nYLQQ//
Perry vetoes ethics unit funding after Lehmberg does not resign
By Mike Ward
American-Statesman Staff
Gov. Rick Perry made good on a promise Friday to veto state funding for the Austin-based statewide ethics-enforcement unit after Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg refused to resign in the wake of a drunken driving conviction.
The decision means that more than 30 prosecutors, investigators and support staff could be out of work come Sept. 1, unless Travis County officials decide to pick up the funding. The fate of the unit’s 400 pending cases and investigations also is in doubt.
“Despite the otherwise good work (of) the Public Integrity Unit’s employees, I cannot in good conscience support continued state funding for an office with statewide jurisdiction at a time when the person charged with ultimate responsibility of that unit has lost the public’s confidence,” Perry said in his veto message.
“This unit is in no other way held accountable to state taxpayers, except through the state budgetary process. I therefore object to and disapprove of this appropriation.”
Gregg Cox, the head of the unit, said he was “disappointed” by Perry’s decision. He had no further comment.
Earlier: Gov. Rick Perry violated state laws prohibiting coercion of officials by vowing to veto ethics-enforcement funding unless Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg resigns, a watchdog group alleged in a complaint filed Friday morning with prosecutors.
Texans for Public Justice filed the complaint with Lehmberg’s office, alleging Perry’s pledge constitutes a violation of abuse of office, coercion of a public servant, official oppression and potentially the state’s bribery law.
Officials with the office of Travis County Attorney David Escamilla said they had not seen the complaint, and had no immediate comment. Gregg Cox, head of the Public Integrity Unit that investigates allegations of wrongdoing by public officials, said it would not investigate the complaint.
“It’s clear, it would not be appropriate for us to have any role in this,” Cox said. “If the county attorney’s office does not handle it, then we would refer it to an adjoining county.”
At a Capitol bill-signing ceremony, Perry would not discuss the complaint, nor say whether he plans to veto state funding for the unit.
“I know I haven’t finalized looking at everything in the budget yet, so making pronouncements about the budget before they get to see the final outcome is a little premature,” Perry said.
“We’re going to make a decision about this budget, and Travis County is going to have to make a decision about whether or not they are going to keep a district attorney who obviously has some real problems. People who have looked at the videos (of Lehmberg’s arrest), I think, will come to the same conclusion as most of us – that that was pretty inappropriate activity.”
Authors of the complaint were just as adamant that Perry’s threat was inappropriate.
“Gov. Perry has no legal authority to remove the Travis Country District Attorney from her job,” said TPJ director Craig McDonald. “Threatening to take an official action against her office unless she voluntarily resigns is likely illegal.”
He continued: “The governor overstepped his authority by sticking his nose in Travis County’s business. A legal process is currently underway. That process alone should determine the fate of the District Attorney.”
“Governor Perry’s official threats attempt to obtain two things that he can’t achieve through legal democratic means. First, to remove an elected Democrat and replace her with an appointed Republican DA. Second, to wipe out the state’s public corruption watchdog, which is currently investigating corruption in at least one of the governor’s signature corporate subsidy programs.”
The offenses cited by the ethics-advocacy group range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 2 felony.
Perry earlier this week communicated to Lehmberg that be plans to veto about $7.5 million state funding for the Public Integrity Unit in Lehmberg’s office if she does not resign by the close of business Friday.
Many GOP legislative leaders, including Perry, are upset that she did not quit after she was arrested in April for drunk driving. She served a 45-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to the charge.
Lehmberg is a Democrat in a Democrat-leaning county. Perry, a conservative Republican, would appoint a replacement if she resigned.
She earlier said she had no plans to quit.
If Perry vetoes funding for the ethics-enforcement unit, officials have warned that hundreds of ongoing cases and investigations could be jeopardized — including inquiries into fraud in state programs and the investigation of alleged irregularities in the awarding of grants at the Austin-based Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
Issues at the cancer fund sparked a legislative investigation last year that resulted in just-passed reforms.
“Rick Perry wants so badly to halt ongoing grand jury investigations into CPRIT and perhaps other criminal inquiries that he’s willing to break the law to get it done,” said Glenn Smith, a longtime Democratic Party activist who is director of Progress Texas PAC.
Abuse of power, Texas style
