Senate Conducts Initial Impeachment Hearing for Judge Thomas Porteous

Today, Senators conducted initial steps in the impeachment proceedings against Judge Thomas Porteous, who serves on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The House has already adopted four impeachment articles against him, as follows:

• Article I – engaging in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him as a Federal judge – Passed the House by a vote of 412-0.
• Article II – engaged in a longstanding pattern of corrupt conduct that demonstrates his unfitness to serve as a United States District Court Judge – Passed the House by a vote of 410-0.
• Article III – knowingly and intentionally making false statements, under penalty of perjury, related to his personal bankruptcy filing and violating a bankruptcy court order – Passed the House by a vote of 416-0.
• Article IV – knowingly made material false statements about his past to both the United States Senate and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to obtain the office of United States District Court Judge – Passed the House by a vote of 423-0.

The Senate, meanwhile, adopted two resolutions today by Voice Vote.  The first, S. Res. 457, would serve Judge Porteous with a summons while “asking him or a representative to respond in writing to the four articles of impeachment and to be available when the special committee holds its hearings,” according to the Times-Picayune.

The articles “accuse Porteous of taking money, expensive meals and other gifts from lawyers and a bail bond company with business before him and of making false statements in a personal bankruptcy filing.”

The second, S. Res. 458, establishes an impeachment committee to look into the charges.  It’s made up of the following members:

• Claire McCaskill (D-MO) – Chair
• Orrin Hatch (R-UT) – Vice Chair
• Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
• Tom Udall (D-NM)
• Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
• Ted Kaufman (D-DE)
• Jim DeMint (R-SC)
• John Barrasso (R-WY)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Mike Johanns (R-NE)
• James Risch (R-ID)

According to the Times-Picayune, the committee “can make recommendations, but it will take a vote of two-thirds of the Senate to remove Porteous from office.”

(credit image – nola.com)