AUSTIN — Texas taxpayers will pay the legal defense fees for Gov. Rick Perry, who is under criminal investigation for allegedly illegally withholding state money from the Travis County District Attorney’s office.
KVUE News and the Austin American-Statesman reported Sunday that Perry had hired well-known Austin lawyer David Botsford to represent him. The hiring came as a grand jury was about to begin reviewing Perry’s actions.
On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Perry confirmed that Botsford’s hourly rate of $450 will be paid by Texas taxpayers “because this inquiry concerns actions by the governor while acting in his official capacity.”
Perry last year vetoed a state budget item that would have given the District Attorney’s office a two-year, $7.5 million allocation after the drunken driving arrest of District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. Perry had threatened to withhold the money unless Lehmberg resign and carried out that threat when she refused to step down.
A special prosecutor has been investigating whether that action violated any state laws.
http://www.kvue.com/home/Texas-taxpayers-to-pay-Perrys-legal-fees–255573301.html
And why should we Texans have to pay for his legal fees?
“because this inquiry concerns actions by the governor while acting in his official capacity.”
That’s his problem, NOT ours!
Politicians don’t get to sue others while in office. They work for us and we never gave them the permission to sue others while on the job.
If he wants to sue someone, do it on his own time with his own money, NOT ours!
I agree with you, NC. Texans should not have to pay his legal fees. His contract with this lawyer, @ $450 per hr., is April 4 through October 31 w/ the option to extend for 12 months. IMHO, he should pay for that out of his own pocket.
However, Perry is not suing anyone. He is trying to defend himself against charges that he committed coercion of a public servant, bribery, abuse of official capacity and official oppression.