Rick Perry might be in some deep shit. Today the Texas Governor was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly abusing his power. The felony charge accuses Perry of threatening to veto millions of dollars away from an agency unless the Democratic official overseeing said agency resigned because of a DUI. If convicted he could face five to 99 years in prison.
Republicans allies have been quick to come to Perry's side and accuse the grand jury of participating in a witch hunt. Republican strategist Bruce Haynes told Politico in an email, "GOP state level activists love nothing more right now than a leader with the guts to stand up against a system they believe is failing the people and protecting the elites,” he said in an email. Ultimately this may not be a threat to Perry as much as it is a gift."
Gift probably isn't the right word, even if Perry is found innocent. Rick Perry 2.0 has been trying to change his gaffe-plagued image following his awful run for president in 2012 as he considers another run in 2016. But it doesn't take much to derail a campaign, even before it officially starts. Being seen as corrupt is far worse than looking dumb, and it can't be fixed with glasses either.
[via Politico]
