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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSteve Kornacki DEFENDING Rick Perry to the hilt on his show
In fact you even have David Axelrod defending him saying the charges are bogus
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)This is not the way to beat politicians we don't like.
99Forever
(14,524 posts)deminks
(11,014 posts)so I decided to look for myself.
Rick Perry's Cancer Slush Fund Executive Indicted
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/06/1260701/-Rick-Perry-s-Cancer-Slush-Fund-Executive-Indicted#
There's been a scandal brewing for some time regarding the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). See a report at firedoglake a year ago after it became clear the agency, which was created to fund cancer research in Texas, was redirecting millions to GOP donors:
(snip)
Cobbs indictment came six months after Perry used a line-item veto to take away state funding for the Public Integrity Unit because Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg wouldnt resign. See more at http://watchdogblog.dallasnews.com/...
This indictment could lend a boost to Wendy Davis' run for govenor against Greg Abbott, because of his involvement. And there may be more to come.
(end snip)
Everything You Need to Know* About Rick Perrys Newest Scandal
http://www.texasobserver.org/everything-wanted-know-rick-perrys-new-scandal/
He may not keep that low profile for that much longer, though. A little scandal from the doldrums of last summer is roaring back to life, and Perry faces the threat of criminal charges over accusations that he tried to force the Travis County district attorney to resign. Theres the added intrigue over the allegation that Perrys aim was to kill an investigation into the scandal-plagued Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Its one little thread in the well-worn sweater of Gov. Perrys long tenure in office, but it threatens to damage his presidential ambitions.
With stories like these, which build up and fade over long periods of time, its difficult to follow whats really going on. Many peopleincluding more than a few national reportersseemed surprised to learn this week that the longest-serving governor in Texas history may be facing indictment. We hope this primer helps catch you up on the story so far.
(snip)
Whats more, the Public Integrity Unit was in the process of conducting an investigation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. CPRIT received a ton of money from the Legislature to award grants to high-level medical research projects. The problem: a lot of that money was going to people who shouldnt have gotten it. And some of those folks had close ties to Perry. Just a few months ago, Lehmbergs office indicted CPRITs former director over his allegedly improper disbursement of an $11 million grant. But when Lehmberg got pulled over with the potato juice in her car last spring, the investigation was just underway.
When Lehmbergs DWI went public, Republicans saw a way to get rid of a pesky, entrenched foe. (Though they couched this in terms of their deep, abiding concern for the offices integrity.) Meanwhile, Democrats who would have happily seen Lehmberg canned if the Travis County Commissioners Court could have appointed her replacement rallied around Lehmberg as if she was the last warrior for righteousness on Earth.
But what did Perry do, exactly?
He threatened, publicly, to use his line item-veto power to zero out the Public Integrity Units budget. Since that part of the Travis DAs office played a statewide role, it was funded by the state. This kind of threat isnt unusual. Executives use veto threats all the time to get what they want. The difference this time was that Perry had the audacity to do it all publicly. Its unusual for an elected official to bully another elected official into resigning. And when threats didnt work, he followed through on it. At the end of last years legislative session, Perry eliminated the entirety of the Public Integrity Units fundingsome $8 million over two years. Money that was going to investigate, in small part, his own partys mismanagement of state government agencies, including alleged corruption in CPRIT.
(end snip)
So, no, the charges aren't bogus. The focus should not be on the first offense of the Democrat on the Public Integrity Unit, but on Perry and his dipping into cancer funds.
Gothmog
(144,920 posts)thank you for posting these links
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)Gothmog
(144,920 posts)Will is a good man. He used to work for Congressman Keith Ellison. Will is doing a great job for the Texas Democratic Party.
Will's defense of this indictment was well done
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)why he was indicted.
There is more to this than what is written in the indictment and in the fullness of time it will come out.
blogslut
(37,982 posts)Ms. Lehmburg is a Democrat. If she had stepped down, Goodhair would have been able to appoint a hand-picked crony to take her place.
The monies Perry vetoed, in fact, shut down an investigation into a state-supported cancer entity that was illegally benefiting Perry supporters and on whose oversight board was AG Greg Abbott.