Cruz: I’m ‘proud to stand with Rick Perry’

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) defended his home state Gov. Rick Perry (R), after Perry was indicted Friday for allegedly abusing his veto power in an effort to force a Democratic prosecutor to resign. 

{mosads}”Unfortunately, there has been a sad history of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office engaging in politically-motivated prosecutions, and this latest indictment of the governor is extremely questionable,” Cruz wrote on Facebook. “Rick Perry is a friend, he’s a man of integrity – I am proud to stand with Rick Perry. The Texas Constitution gives the governor the power to veto legislation, and a criminal indictment predicated on the exercise of his constitutional authority is, on its face, highly suspect.”

Cruz could face Perry in a Republican presidential primary in 2016, if they both decide to run and Perry survives politically.

Cruz and Perry are both prominent critics of President Obama, most recently over the administration’s handling of the surge of unaccompanied children at the Texas border. 

Perry was indicted on two felony counts for allegedly abusing his veto power in an effort to force a Democratic prosecutor to resign. 

Perry vetoed money for the corruption unit under Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg after Lehmberg refused to resign following a drunk driving conviction last year.