Senate Begins Impeachment Proceedings Against Judge Samuel Kent

June 24, 2009 12:55 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Senate began impeachment proceedings on Wednesday against Samuel Kent, a federal judge indicted on charges of sexually abusing two court employees. The House last week voted to impeach Kent, who continues to receive his salary despite being in prison for an obstruction of justice conviction.

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), one of five House impeachment managers, had personally delivered the articles of impeachment to the Senate late that morning. He urged senators in a statement to work quickly so that Kent would not collect more of his $477-a-day paychek from prison.

"While the Senate currently has many important issues on their plate, given that the Constitution grants them the sole power of trying and removing this man from office, they should take action immediately to ensure justice is truly served, and that Judge Kent, who has dishonored the robe, can no longer serve on a judicial bench," Sensenbrenner said.

The House voted unanimously on all four impeachment articles against Kent last Friday, a little over a week after the House Judiciary Committee passed an impeachment resolution introduced by committee chairman John Conyers (D-MI).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said his chamber would act expeditiously, and that an impeachment trial would be held in the coming weeks.

"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," Reid said.

Members of the Senate impeachment committee include Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), appointed chairman, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mel Martinez (R-FL), who is vice-chairman, and Jim DeMint (R-SC).

A conviction for Kent requires a two-thirds vote from the full Senate.

The 60-year-old Kent, whose career on the bench in Galveston spans two decades, had been indicted in August 2008 on one count of attempted aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact against an employee, his case manager at the time, Cathy McBroom.

He allegedly put his hand under McBroom's clothes in March 2007 and again in August 2003. The incidents all occurred at the courthouse in Galveston.

McBroom in 2007 had filed a judicial misconduct complaint against the judge. The complaint resulted in a four-month suspension for Kent and a written reprimand for sexual harassment and "inappropriate behavior" from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which had appointed a special panel to probe the allegations.

In January this year, the grand jury in the Southern District of Texas returned a superseding indictment against Kent, maintaining the three original charges and adding one count each of abusive sexual contact and aggravated sexual abuse against another court employee, his secretary of seven years, Donna Wilkerson.

The superseding indictment also added one count of obstruction of justice, accusing Kent of lying before the special committee about the misconduct allegations.

Kent entered a plea agreement with prosecutors in February that retained only the obstruction of justice charge, and dropped all the five sexual harassment charges, in return for his admission of guilt.

His three-year sentence includes $1,000 fine as well as restitution of $3,300 to McBroom and $3,250 to Wilkerson. But his retirement with disability has allowed him to continue receiving his salary despite being in prison and being below the retirement age of 65.