Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) political action committee released a Web video Tuesday featuring unflattering police footage of the drunk driving arrest and detention of a Texas district attorney.
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, shown in the police video, is at the center of two felony counts against Perry handed down by a grand jury last week.
{mosads}Perry, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, is defending himself against charges that he abused his powers by attempting to force Lehmberg to resign after her arrest. The governor had threatened to veto funding for a public integrity unit in her office.
The video splices clips of Perry defending his veto with unflattering images of Lehmberg failing a sobriety test, kicking at a door in a police station and having her arms and shoulders physically restrained while in custody.
Perry’s political action committee, RickPAC, blasted out an email with the video titled “Setting the Record Straight” along with a large “contribute” button at the bottom.
“As DA, you need someone you can trust to see that justice is administered fairly. The mission of my office is to see that justice is done,” Lehmberg says in a clip shortly followed by video of her stumbling during her 2013 arrest.
The video goes on to show Perry justifying his veto, overlaid with clips of Lehmberg in the police station. His legal team showed similar video a day earlier.
“I exercised this authority to veto for an office whose leadership had lost the public’s confidence by acting inappropriately and unethically — who conducted themselves in an incredibly inappropriate way,” Perry said.
“Stopped for a DWI with a blood-alcohol level almost three times the legal limit, an individual who when booked in had to be restrained, was abusive to law enforcement, was kicking the door,” he continued. I wholeheartedly and unequivocally stand behind my veto.”
Republicans have largely defended Perry against what they call a partisan attack, and even some on the left — including former Obama adviser David Axelrod and The New York Times editorial board — have questioned the indictment.
The governor is expected to be processed at a Texas jail later Tuesday for fingerprinting and a mugshot, according to reports. No arrest warrant was issued in the case.