Aug 21, 2014

Gov. Rick Perry pleads 'not guilty'


The waiver of arraignment, filed by his lawyer David L. Botsford, is dated Tuesday.

Perry has hired a high-powered legal team to deal with the indictment and is keeping up a busy travel schedule as he eyes a possible 2016 presidential bid. Plans call for him to be in New Hampshire Friday.

The case involves Perry's promise last year to veto funding for a public corruption unit overseen by Democratic Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned in the wake of an ugly drunken-driving arrest and guilty plea.

Lehmberg served time but stayed in office. Perry vetoed the money for the Public Integrity Unit, saying Lehmberg had lost the public's confidence.

Texans for Public Justice, a liberal government accountability group, filed a criminal complaint saying that Perry was wrong to use his power to try to force out a locally elected official.

A grand jury indicted Perry last Friday. pfikac@express-news.net

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