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AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The head of the Republican Party in New Hampshire appears to have the welcome mat out for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in spite of his indictment. Jennifer Horn, chair of the Republican State Committee, released a statement blasting Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. The charges against Perry involve his veto of funding for a public corruption unit headed by Lehmberg when she refused to step down after being arrested for drunk driving.
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"The accusations made against Governor Perry are so ridiculous that even President Obama's top adviser David Axelrod called them 'pretty sketchy,'" Horn said. "It appears that partisan political operatives are trying to smear the governor for demanding accountability from a politician who had lost the public's confidence after she was convicted of a crime and thrown in jail. It is obvious to anybody who watches the video of the District Attorney's disgraceful conduct that she does not deserve to remain in office."
A grand jury in Austin indicted Perry on two felony counts late Friday.
In the meantime, Republicans, and even some Democrats, are calling the charges political. Perry, trying to rebuild his reputation after his disastrous presidential campaign in 2012, is continuing to make appearances in early primary states.
On Friday, he is scheduled to speak at an Americans for Prosperity event in Manchester, N.H., followed by a rally Saturday in Stratham, N.H.
Perry has also received support from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a potential rival for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
The governor told Fox News on Sunday that he "stood up for the rule of law" when he vetoed the funding.
