Texas Governor Rick Perry is pictured in this booking photo courtesy of Travis County Sheriff’s Office, released on August 19, 2014. 
 
 AUSTIN Texas Texas Governor Rick Perry, a possible Republican presidential candidate in the 2016 race, was fingerprinted and had his mug shot taken by judicial authorities on Tuesday after being indicted last week on two felony charges of abusing power. 
 
 "The actions that I took were lawful. They were legal and they were proper. This indictment is fundamentally a political act that seeks to achieve at the courthouse what could not be achieved at the ballot box," Perry said after finishing the 15-minute processing at the Travis County criminal justice center, a short walk away from the governor's mansion. 
 
 Supporters turned out to cheer his words while his opponents relished seeing him face a criminal court. 
 
 The indictment has cast a shadow over a presidential run for Perry, who has ranked near the bottom of possible Republican candidates. Experts predict that legal wrangling in the case is likely to stretch into the 2016 election cycle. 
 
 Perry was indicted on Friday by a grand jury in Travis County, a Democratic stronghold in the heavily Republican state, over his veto of funding for a state ethics watchdog that has investigated prominent Texas Republicans. 
 
 Perry, the longest-serving governor in the state's history, became the target of an ethics probe last year after he vetoed $7.5 million in funding for the state public integrity unit run from the Travis County district attorney's office. 
 
 The veto was widely viewed as intended to force the resignation of county District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, after she had pleaded guilty to drunken driving but remained in office. 
 
 Democrats have said Perry may have been looking to put an ally in charge of the unit, extending what they say is cronyism in his administration. 
 
 The more serious of the two felony charges carries a prison sentence of five to 99 years. 
 
 "This may be a sideshow to Rick Perry but no amount of spin can cover up two felony charges," Democratic National Committee spokesman Michael Czin said. 
 
 Perry could try to rally support in Republican primaries by portraying himself as a conservative victim of a partisan legal attack launched by Democrats, analysts have said. But the indictment could undermine backing from major donors and party heavyweights who see the legal case as hurting his general election chances. 
 
 After flaming out in a gaffe-strewn campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Perry has been attempting a political comeback that gained him national attention for accusing President Barack Obama of doing too little to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. 
 
 He will step down as governor when his term ends early next year. 
 
 (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) 

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 "Two pieces of wisdom: 1/2 Proverbs 18:17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines," Griffin Perry tweeted Pictured, Texas Gov. Rick Perry holds his new granddaughter Ella Gray Perry, as his son Griffin, right, Ella Gray's father stands close by. 
 
 Texans For Public Justice is an Austin-based watchdog group that monitors money in politics that brought the initial complaint to the Public Integrity Unit. They tweeted this after the indictment was announced Friday. 
 
 The grand jury decided Perry's bullying crossed the line into law breaking. Any gov under felony indictment should consider stepping aside. 
 
 Pictured, Begala, of Washington, D.C. via Austin, talks with Mayor Julian Castro, right, and Joaquin Castro, center, the morning after his keynote speech at CNN Grill during the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. 
 
 The Texas Democratic Party shot out this tweet in response to Gov. Rick Perry's indictment. 
 
 Pictured, President Barack Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina tours the floor at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, Sept. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press) 
 
 "Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason, Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy," Axelrod tweeted This Jan. 28, 2011 file photo shows David Axelrod, outgoing senior White House adviser to President Barack Obama, during an interview with the Associated Press at the White House. Axelrod, who is a former political reporter for The Chicago Tribune, has known the president since the early 1990s and was a driving force behind Obama's message of change during the 2008 campaign. He is a calming influence on the Obama 2012 campaign team and has helped focus on middle-class voters. 
 
 “Twenty-six million Texans woke up this morning not facing two felony indictments, and their governor did.” 
 
 “Merriam Webster’s has a new indent for ‘irony’ today,” Will Hailer told reporters Saturday, minutes after Perry dismissed the charges as a “farce” at the state Capitol. “When he says it’s an abuse of power, we see a direct abuse of power happening of the governor.” 
 
 “Governor Rick Perry has brought dishonor to his office, his family and the state of Texas. Texans deserve to have leaders that stand up for what is right and work to help families across Texas. The indictment today shows a failure of Governor Perry to follow the law," Hinojosa said . "This is systematic of a broader problem: Ken Paxton is facing a possible indictment and Attorney General Abbott has refused to rule on whether Governor Perry can use taxpayer dollars to cover his legal expenses. We call on Governor Perry to immediately step down from office. Texans deserve real leadership and this is unbecoming of our Governor.”Pictured, Newly-elected Texas State Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa meets with members of the Bexar County Young Democrats at Madhatters Tea House & Cafe, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. 
 
 Pictured, Castro chats in the lobby as Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro readies to speak at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention at the Marriott Rivercenter on August 9, 2014. 
 
 Asked whether Perry should step down, Davis told reporters: “As I said, there will be, I’m sure, more information that comes to light. I trust that the justice system will do its job, and these indictments handed down by the grand jury demonstrate that some very seriously potential crimes have been committed.” That puts her at odds with the state Democratic Party, which said the governor should resign shortly after the indictment was revealed. 
 
 Speaking with reporters before a block walk in Plfugerville on Saturday , Davis reiterated her statement Friday that she was troubled by the charges against Perry. 
 
 “I don’t know what to think of it,” Abbott said.Pictured, Abbott discusses his education policies while visiting the Toyota plant on Monday May 12, 2014. 
 
 Appearing on Fox News to discuss Texas’ border enforcement surge on Saturday , Abbott said he had not looked at the Friday indictment but said he questioned how Perry could be indicted for “using his veto . . . vetoing a law and exercising how power.” 
 
 “I think most reasonable people would come to the conclusion that it’s political in nature. I think most people would feel it’s not inappropriate to exercise a governor’s pergoative to not appropriate funds to a governmental authority that’s had a government official that’s conduced themselves in a way that gives the governor pause.” Munisteri said . “He has about a year and a half to the Iowa caucuses, so certainly this needs to be resolved before that.” Most Republican voters “will feel as I do – that this was politically motivated. This is not about somebody charged with taking a bribe … misusing government property. This is about a governor who said he didn’t want to agree to appropriations for a public official who had admittedly committed a crime.” “I don’t think anybody will think twice about it. Obviously, though, it’ll impact him if it hasn’t gone to trial or resolved prior to the 2016 season kicking into high gear. I think from his point of view he wants the quickest trial as possible.” 
 
 “The Texas Constitution gives the Governor clear veto authority, which the Legislature respects even when we disagree with some vetoes," Straus said . "That authority plays an important role in our system of government.” 
 
 “I’m disappointed with Travis County’s attempts to criminalize state politics," Dewhurst said . "As I understand the facts, Governor Perry’s acts were consistent with what any House or Senate Finance Chair would do to get the attention of a state agency.” 
 
 "I #StandWithRickPerry against the Dem-controlled Travis Co TX DA's office which has a reputation for malicious prosecution of Republicans," Santorum tweeted Pictured, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, Republican from Pennsylvania, speaks at a luncheon sponsored by radio station KLUP at the Pearl Stable, Friday, May 30, 2014. 
 
 "The lawsuit against @GovernorPerry is a blatant misuse of the judicial system by liberal activists who couldn’t defeat him at the polls," Jindal tweeted . " @GovernorPerry exercised his constitutional authority and this circus is simply a political witch-hunt. I stand behind @GovernorPerry in his fight for honest government and I am certain he will prevail in this partisan suit."Pictured, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal delivers the keynote address during Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington, Saturday, June 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) 
 
 "Let's come together and #StandWithRickPerry to continue building our #texasmiracle," Bush tweeted. 
 
 "The indictment of @GovernorPerry seems politically motivated and ridiculous. Major overreach and an encroachment on his veto authority," Bush tweeted Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks at the George Bush Presidential Conference Center Friday, Jan. 18, 2002, in College Station, Texas. (Bryan-College Station Eagle, Butch Ireland) 
 
 Pictured, during his address at the RedState Gathering, Sen. Ted Cruz said conservatives are near victory in big fights like Obamacare and immigration. 
 
 “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.” 
 
 “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 said in a Facebook post. 
 
 “We don't settle political differences with indictments in this country,” Perry said at a Capitol news conference on Saturday . “This indictment amounts to nothing more than abuse of power, and I cannot and I will not allow that to happen.” 
 
 Gov. Rick Perry's indictment on two felony charges Friday set off a maelstrom of reactions from elected officials and political insiders. Scroll through the slideshow to see what Republicans and Democrats had to say about the charges. 
 
 Media wait for Gov. Rick Perry to be booked at the Travis County Courthouse. 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears prior to his Aug. 19, 2014 booking in Austin on a charge of abuse of power. | Photo still from Texas Tribune video 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears prior to his Aug. 19, 2014 booking in Austin on a charge of abuse of power. | Photo still from Texas Tribune video 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears prior to his Aug. 19, 2014 booking in Austin on a charge of abuse of power. | Photo still from Texas Tribune video 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears prior to his Aug. 19, 2014 booking in Austin on a charge of abuse of power. | Photo still from Texas Tribune video 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry, front right, is escorted away from the Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, in Austin, Texas. Perry has been booked on two felony counts of abuse of power for carrying out a threat to veto funding to state public corruption prosecutors. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry, center, arrives at the Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, in Austin, Texas. Perry has been booked on two felony counts of abuse of power for carrying out a threat to veto funding to state public corruption prosecutors. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) 
 
 Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears prior to his Aug. 19, 2014 booking in Austin on a charge of abuse of power. | Photo still from Texas Tribune video 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 A few demonstrators are present before Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 Texas Governor Rick Perry goes through the process of being booked for felony charges at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on August 20, 2014. 
 
 AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry has been booked at the Travis County Courthouse Complex, where he maintained that he did the right thing despite being accused of abusing his power. 
 
 The Republican governor made remarks before and after being booked Tuesday afternoon around 5 p.m., but he did not answer media questions. 
 
 Earlier, Perry was greeted by cheers and chants as he approached the courthouse before heading in to be booked on the felony indictment issued last week. 
 
 “I'm here today because I believe in the rule of law. I'm here today because I did the right thing. I'm going to enter this courthouse with my head held high knowing that the actions that I took were not only lawful and legal but right,” Perry said. 
 
 One in the crowd shouted, “We love you.” 
 
 The case stems from Perry's threat last year to veto funding for a public corruption unit overseen by Democratic Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned in the wake of a messy drunken-driving arrest and guilty plea. 
 
 Lehmberg stayed in office after serving jail time. The Republican governor vetoed the money for the Public Integrity Unit, saying she had lost the public's confidence. 
 
 Texans for Public Justice, a liberal government accountability group, filed a complaint against Perry, saying he was wrong to use his power to try to force out a locally elected official. 
 
 The veto threat came as the Public Integrity Unit was looking into cases including a scandal at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, whose creation was championed by Perry. 
 
 Perry was indicted Friday on one count of abuse of official capacity, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison, and one count of coercion of a public servant, a third-degree felony carrying a punishment of two to 10 years in prison. Perry and his lawyers have called the indictment outrageous, saying he acted properly. 
 
 His team has spotlighted a video showing Lehmberg behaving belligerently after her arrest and being restrained, both at a news conference by his lawyers and in a video by his political action committee, RickPAC.
– Texas Gov. Rick Perry smiled for his police mugshot and promised to be vindicated on abuse-of-power charges today. Perry turned himself in at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin on the felony accusations, reports Reuters. “I'm here today because I believe in the rule of law," he said before entering the courthouse to be booked, reports the San Antonio Express-News. "I'm here today because I did the right thing. I'm going to enter this courthouse with my head held high knowing that the actions that I took were not only lawful and legal but right." The governor's case stems from allegations that he tried to intimidate a Democratic district attorney into resigning after she was charged with drunken driving. When she refused to do so, he made good on a threat to veto funds for the public corruption unit she was running. For the record, Perry is charged with one count of abuse of official capacity and one count of coercion of a public servant. The first is a felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison and the second is a lesser felony punishable by two to 10 years. (As for the mugshot, he apparently heard experts' advice to ditch the glasses.)