2016
Rick Perry, Legal Team Argue for Dismissal of Remaining Criminal Counts
Former governor and one-time 2016 presidential candidate Rick Perry visited the state’s highest criminal court recently for another salvo in his legal battle. What is the case against Perry all about?
Abuse-of-power charges
In August 2014, a grand jury in Travis County indicted Perry on two counts related to alleged abuse of power. The charges stemmed from Perry’s veto of $7.5 million in funding for the Travis County District Attorney’s office that was to be earmarked for fighting public corruption. Perry had vowed to refuse the funding unless Rosemary Lehmberg, Travis County’s district attorney, resigned following a conviction and sentence served for driving under the influence.
Perry’s lawyers argued that the law used to charge him was too vague, and