Rick Perry: Felony indictment against me is a politically motivated 'farce'
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Sunday doubled down on his dismissal of a felony indictment against him for an alleged abuse of power, calling the case a "farce."
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Perry suggested the prosecution was politically-motivated, saying it had been brought by people "who would erode our state's constitution and laws purely for political purposes."
"When you add the IRS scandal that's going on and the outside of the rule of law there, and then you look at what's happened in Austin, Texas, with this grand jury, I think there is some extraordinary concern in this country about the rule of law not being followed," he said.
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Perry was indicted Friday on two felonies for making good on a public threat to veto funds for an anti-corruption agency after the agency's head was arrested for drunken driving. Texas governors have broad veto power, but Perry's critics contend his direct veto threat went too far.
"I stood up for the rule of law in the state of Texas," Perry said Sunday. "And if I had to do it again, I would make exactly the same decision." --Jon Terbush
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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