The abuse-of-power indictment against former Texas governor Rick Perry has been officially dropped as of Wednesday, after the case was dismissed in the state’s highest criminal court, according to The Houston Chronicle.
The case was based on actions Perry took in 2013 while he was governor. According to The Houston Chronicle, after Rosemary Lehmberg, a Travis County District Attorney, declined to resign following a drunk-driving incident Perry vetoed state funding for the public integrity unit overseen by her. Perry has defended his actions, despite a complaint filed by Texans for Public justice, which led to a 2014 indictment accusing Perry of abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant.
The coercion charge was dropped in 2015 by the 3rd Court of Appeals. Earlier this year the court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the abuse charge. A judge signed the dismissal Wednesday morning, making it official.
