Texas Gov. Rick Perry calls indictment 'outrageous' abuse of power
Gov. Rick Perry makes a statement in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014 concerning the indictment on charges of coercion of a public servant and abuse of his official capacity. Perry is the first Texas governor since 1917 to be indicted. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas) Credit: AP Photo/Michael Thomas
Texas Gov. Rick Perry vowed Saturday to fight the indictment against him, calling it an "outrageous" abuse of power.
"This indictment amounts to nothing more than abuse of power and I cannot and will not allow that to happen," Perry said at a news conference a day after he was charged with violating state law.
On Friday, a Travis County grand jury indicted the Republican on two felony counts of abuse of power for making good on a veto threat.
The possible 2016 presidential hopeful again dismissed the charges as nakedly political. Perry is the first Texas governor since 1917 to be indicted.
The indictments are related to Perry vetoing funding for a Travis County unit investigating public corruption last year because the Democratic official heading the office refused to resign after being convicted of drunken driving.
The investigative unit is based in Austin, a heavily Democratic city where the grand jury was seated. The rest of Texas is heavily Republican.
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