The House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach retired U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent by a 29-0 vote today, marking the first time in 20 years the body has taken that action against a federal jurist. The four articles of impeachment the committee voted on alleged that Kent was guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors” that warranted his removal from office. The first two articles of impeachment related to the “sexual assault” of two of his staff members at the federal courthouse in Galveston; the third involved his obstruction of justice; and the fourth was linked to his false statements to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice. Kent pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice earlier this year and, in a factual statement he signed as part of the plea, he admitted to nonconsensual contact with his former court administrator Cathy McBroom and his former secretary Donna Wilkerson. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison and is expected to report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Monday. Kent has sent a letter to the White House indicating that he will resign from the bench on June 1, 2010. He will continue to be paid while sitting in prison because only a voluntary resignation or impeachment by Congress will stop his salary -- a situation that offended many of the House Judiciary Committee members. During the hearing, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, claimed Kent is “gaming the system. . . . That’s why we are here today to put an end to Judge Kent’s abuse of authority and the American taxpayers,” Smith said.
-- John Council
House judiciary committee votes to impeach kent.. WTF? :)
Posted by: texaslawyer.typepad.com | May 20, 2011 at 08:36 PM