As I've been writing my just published post on the Ebola epidemic I've just heard Rachel Maddow report that Texas Governor Rick Perry has just been indicted for what I believe she reports was abuse of power.
I will update this with documentation in a few minutes if someone else has not already reported it. Manny Fernandez of the New York Times reports Gov. Rick Perry of Texas Is Indicted on Charge of Abuse of Power
AUSTIN, Tex. — A grand jury indicted Gov. Rick Perry on two felony counts on Friday, charging that he abused his power last year when he attempted to pressure the district attorney here, a Democrat, to step down by threatening to cut off state financing to her office.
The indictment left Mr. Perry, a Republican, the first Texas governor in nearly 100 years to face criminal charges and presented a major roadblock to his presidential ambitions at the very time that he had been showing signs of making a comeback.
Grand jurors in Travis County charged Mr. Perry with abusing his official capacity and coercing a public servant, according to Michael McCrum, the special prosecutor assigned to the case.
It remains to be seen whether this indictment will hurt or help Governor Perry's plans to run for President in 2016. Legal troubles for Governors Chris Christie and Scott Walker have presented a mixed picture, and raised questions about whether Republican Governors see criminal indictments as some kind of badge of courage. It appears that other Republican Governors are worried that Governor Chris Christie may "get ahead of them" in the number of potential criminal indictments they face. (Humor alert - I never give up.)
Former Republican Governor Rob McDonnell has taken the lead as I heard earlier this afternoon, prosecutors have nearly completed presenting their case against him.
Rachel just concluded her segment saying if convicted Governor Perry could face 99 years in prison.
6:18 PM PT: The charges are related to the case of Perry using his veto power against the budget for "Rosemary Lehmberg, the district attorney in Travis County" trying to force her to step down after she was arrested for drunken driving.
Allegedly, Perry was motivated by the opportunity to name her replacement before the end of his term.