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August 21, 2014      9:56 AM

Updated: Attorneys for Perry say CPRIT investigation had nothing to do with veto at the heart of indictment

But there are other PIU investigations of great interest to Perry

Note: This story has been updated throughout as of 10:55am – SB

Gov. Perry’s all-star legal team on Thursday rolled out what they said was pretty conclusive evidence that the investigation of problems at the state’s cancer-fighting fund had nothing to do with the veto of $7.5 million for the Public Integrity Unit housed in the Travis County DA’s Office.

That veto, of course, is at the heart of the two-count felony indictment of Perry handed up by a Travis County grand jury on Friday. The governor stands accused of abusing his office and trying to coerce Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg into resigning from office following her drunk driving arrest last year.

Attorney Tony Buzbee told reporters on a morning conference call that he was approached by a former investigator in the PIU, Chris Walling, who agreed to sign an affidavit that says neither Perry nor anyone in his office were targets of the investigation of the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. Walling is now an employee at a state agency, but Buzbee said he could not recall which one. The staff directory of the State Auditor’s Office shows Walling now works in the Special Investigations Unit of that agency.

By Scott Braddock