Houston attorney alleges Perry prosecutor overbilling Travis County

A Houston attorney has filed a criminal complaint in Travis County against the special prosecutor handling the case against Gov. Rick Perry, alleging the prosecutor is overbilling taxpayers.

Attorney David Rushing accuses prosecutor Michael McCrum of violating laws related to theft, acceptance of an honorarium and abuse of official capacity — the crime a grand jury indicted Perry on last month — by charging a $300 hourly rate to Travis County.

The complaint says the county requires that “appointed counsel will be compensated for time actually required by an appointment at an hourly rate of $70 to $100 for in-court time and $60 to $90 for out-of-court time.”

McCrum’s rate is “more than three times the allowable rate for felony attorneys, even in capital cases where the death penalty is sought,” the complaint says.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/houston-attorney-alleges-perry-prosecutor-overbill/nhWKb/

[font color=green]David Rushing was a past chairman of the Young Conservatives of Texas between April 2003 and February 2005.[/font]