House Panel Recommends Impeaching Judge Kent for Sexual Misconduct
A House Judiciary Committee task force has taken a first step that could lead to the impeachment of U.S. District Judge Sam Kent based on accusations of sexual misconduct and false statements about his actions.
Kent has been sentenced to 33 months in prison following his guilty plea for obstruction of justice.
The panel referred four articles of impeachment against the Galveston, Texas, judge to the full House Judiciary Committee, according to the Houston Chronicle and the Galveston County Daily News. The Chronicle describes the vote as “a hurry-up bid” to stop Kent from collecting a judicial paycheck before he reports to prison on June 15.
Kent has submitted his resignation—but it won’t take effect until June 1, 2010, a move designed to allow him to continue to collect his $174,000 annual salary and health benefits in the meantime.
Kent had entered the guilty plea to obstruction as part of a plea bargain in which he admitted to nonconsensual sexual contact with two court employees. The first two articles of impeachment refer to the sexual misconduct and the second two refer to false statements made to federal appeals court investigators.
