Court dismisses indictment against former governor

 

Former Gov. Rick Perry is no longer facing criminal charges.

 

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Feb. 24 ordered the dismissal of a 2014 felony indictment of Perry by a Travis County grand jury.

 

The two-count indictment alleged “abuse of official capacity” and “coercion of a public servant” related to Perry’s veto of the budget of the state’s Public Integrity Unit that then operated under the auspices of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.

 

Perry demanded the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who also headed the Public Integrity Unit, after she was arrested and jailed for driving while intoxicated in April 2013. Lehmberg, who served a brief jail term, refused to resign. Perry then vetoed the unit’s $7.5 million two-year budget.