Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has been named to a bipartisan panel of senators who will investigate a sexual-abuse case against a federal judge from Texas in the coming weeks, as the Senate gears up for its first impeachment trial since President Bill Clinton survived a similar proceeding in 1999.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced the beginning of proceedings against U.S. District Court Judge Samuel Kent, who is already serving a prison sentence in a federal facility near Boston, after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with sexual abuse of two employees in a Houston courthouse.

Rhode Island Democrat Whitehouse is one of 12 senators -- 6 from each party -- named to a committee that will "investigate and present evidence prior to an impeachment trial by the full Senate, which will be held in the coming weeks,'' according to a news release from the two Senate leaders. The House of Representatives voted last week to impeach Kent; the Senate received the Articles of Impeachment from the House on Wednesday morning.

Senator Reid said, "The Senate takes very seriously its constitutional duty to hold a trial of impeachment. Consistent with past practices, we have appointed an impeachment committee to gather the evidentiary record for the Senate. We anticipate the Committee will carry out its duties conscientiously and with all due speed."

Kent will bee removed from office if the Senate convicts him on any of four articles of impeachment. According to the Houston Chronicle, the House acted because the terms of Kent's resignation would permit him to keep drawing his $477-a-day salary -- while behind bars -- until he officially leaves the federal bench next year.

Whitehouse, a former prosecutor, is a member of the senate Judiciairy Committee.

 Tags  clinton impeachment kent whitehouse

Comments

pod said:

I halted a bit when I read: Whitehouse as "a former prosecutor..." I am hard pressed to recall a single case he prosecuted successfully and can recall with ease many that he botched up. His crowning achievement, of course, was the ill fated "lead Paint" trial. The Supreme Court said, in effect, "only you and the judge on the case seem to think that you are entitled to write law rather than interpret it." Not a word from SW about the wasted nine years and money. Oh, well, it was a wacky idea, worth trying.
I don't think other lawyers regard SW as a real lawyer. Remember the brief acrimonious stint at E&A. He is a tweener, no one really likes him or respects him, nonetheless, there he sits as our state's senator. What a country!

Link | June 24, 2009 1:36 PM
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