In The News

By CHRIS PASCHENKO
Ten members of a U.S. House of Representatives task force recommended four articles of impeachment Tuesday against convicted U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent of Galveston.

Kent pleaded guilty in May to felony obstruction of justice in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping sexual misconduct charges involving two female employees. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison and is to report for incarceration Monday.

In just 20 minutes, the task force voted 10-0 on the four articles of impeachment, which accuse Kent of high crimes and misdemeanors.

The full Committee on the Judiciary could meet today to vote whether to send the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives. If impeached by the House, the embattled judge could then be tried in the U.S. Senate.

The first two articles of impeachment reference Kent’s admitted, unwanted sexual misconduct against his former case worker Cathy McBroom and secretary Donna Wilkerson.

The final two include false statements to investigators, including a special panel of 5th Circuit Court and to the FBI.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chaired the panel Tuesday, saying Kent’s acts, “are, as the judge who sentenced Kent to incarceration stated, ‘a stain on the justice system.’”

“For the House of Representatives to sit idly by and to allow Mr. Kent to continue to hold the office of U.S. district judge while sitting in prison after committing such high crimes and misdemeanors, it would be a stain on the Congress as well,” Schiff said.

Kent has announced his intention to resign from the bench June 1, 2010.

Although Kent and his attorney, Dick DeGuerin, were invited to attend last week’s task force inquiry, in which McBroom and Wilkerson testified, neither appeared to answer the accusations.

Kent, who unsuccessfully sought a disability retirement, which would have allowed him to retire early and collect his $174,000 annual salary and benefits, sent a letter to the panel, stating his health didn’t allow him to travel to Washington, D.C.

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said Tuesday that Kent had lied multiple times and lost credibility. His unsworn letter offers no supporting statement from a doctor as to why his health prevented him from traveling to answer to the panel, Gohmert said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.