Defiant gov. Rick perry of texas appears in court in abuse-of-power case

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, a former—and potentially future—Republican presidential candidate, made his first court appearance Thursday in an abuse-of-power case and insisted that the legal

trouble is not distracting him from his job. Perry sat silently in an Austin courtroom while lawyers argued over whether the special prosecutor in the case was improperly sworn in. The judge

did not immediately rule. Rick Perry Getty Images More From NBC News: Boehner Warns Obama After Midterms: Don't 'Poison the Well' Tough Going: Two Big Obstacles Loom for

Obama and McConnell Washington State Legislator Headed for Re-election, Despite Being Dead An indictment accuses Perry of pressuring a prosecutor to resign by threatening to veto money for

her anti-corruption division. The prosecutor had been arrested on a drunken-driving charge. Perry later followed through on the threat. He has called the charges politically motivated. Read

More'Preparing' for 2016 presidential bid: Rick Perry On Thursday, Perry said that he had used his veto power properly and would do it again. Asked by reporters whether the case

was a distraction, either for the governorship or a potential presidential campaign, Perry cited his handling of border security and the Ebola cases in Texas. Read MoreNo oops about it:

Perry has dominated Top States "I'm able to multitask pretty good," he said. "I don't have any question about being able to multitask."