Rick Perry’s problems have lead to The Washington Post’s Sean Sullivan writing that he would make the same decisions all over again.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) insisted Sunday that a grand jury indictment alleging he abused his office and tried to coerce an elected official was unjustified, pointing to support he has received from political leaders to bolster his claim.
In his first national television interview since the indictment was announced Friday, Perry defended his decision to veto funding for a state anti-corruption unit after a district attorney refused to resign even as he publicly asked her to do so. He also claimed the indictment was part of a larger “rule of law” problem in government.
“I stood up for the rule of law in the state of Texas, and if I had to do it again, I would make exactly the same decision,” Perry said on “Fox News Sunday.”
At issue is Perry’s decision to veto $7.5 million in funding for an anti-corruption unit that is part of the Travis County district attorney’s office. Perry wanted Rosemary Lehmberg (D), the district attorney for Travis County, to step down after her April 2013 drunken-driving arrest. She declined, and Perry made good on his threat to withhold the money. A watchdog group filed an ethics complaint that led to Perry’s indictment on two felony counts.
Some prominent Republicans, such as Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, have weighed in on Perry’s behalf, arguing that Perry acted within his powers and the that indictment was unwarranted. Even David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and former senior adviser to President Obama , suggested the claims against the governor appear flimsy.
