August 16, 2014 4:11 PM

In presser, Perry deflects from issues of coercion to constitutional right to veto

Democrats point out special prosecutor is a Republican

Gov. Rick Perry vigorously defended himself against indictments from a Travis County Grand Jury this afternoon, calling charges of coercion and an abuse of official a “farce of a prosecution” and an “abuse of power.”

In an afternoon news conference at the Capitol, Perry defended his right to veto the $7.5 million in state funding to the Travis County Public Integrity Unit last summer after the arrest of District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg on driving while intoxicated charges. Travis County government eventually picked up the tab for at least a portion of the work once funded by the state.

Since the indictments were announced, Perry’s team has been on the offense. Video of Lehmberg’s behavior in the Travis County Jail last year, from demanding jailers call “her friend Greg” (Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton) to kicking the door cell to being restrained by jailers has re-emerged with a vengeance in social media circles in the last 24 hours.

By Kimberly Reeves