Houston Chronicle reporter subpoenaed for Perry grand jury probe

AUSTIN – The Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau chief on Thursday was subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury looking into whether Gov. Rick Perry misused his authority last year in vetoing funding for the Travis County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit.

Mike Ward, while a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman last year, broke the story that led to the grand jury investigation, which springs from Perry's promise to veto funding for the state's ethics-enforcement unit unless Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg resigned.

Officials confirmed to Ward last year that Perry intended to exercise his line-item veto of a two-year, $7.5 million allocation to the Public Integrity Unit unless Lehmberg stepped down in the wake of a messy drunken-driving arrest.

Lehmberg did not resign, and Perry carried through on his promise, saying she had lost the public's confidence.

More at http://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Chronicle-reporter-subpoenaed-for-Perry-grand-5548247.php .