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State Lawmaker Wants Travis County DA to Resign

Bob Daemmrich, Texas Tribune

A state lawmaker is calling for the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who’s serving a 45-day sentencein the county jail after pleading guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated.

State Representative Phil King, R-Weatherford, says if Lehmberg doesn’t resign, the state’s Public Integrity Unit should be moved from her office to the Texas Attorney General’s. The unit investigates corruption by lawmakers.

Speaking on the floorof the Texas House today, King referred to video of Lehmberg from the night of her arrest.

“The behavior that was demonstrated wasn’t one of remorse," King said. "It wasn’t one of, ‘I can’t believe I made this mistake,’ and folks, people make mistakes. What concerns me is the, what appeared to be an utter contempt and disrespect for the law and for the office."

Earlier this week, a judge said a petition calling for Lehmberg to be removed from office could proceed. Thursday, a group of more than 175 lawyers called Friends of Rosemary Lehmberg filed a friend of the court brief calling for the DA to remain in office and serve out her term.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
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