[From the Houston Chronicle, via the ABA Journal]
U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent, who is on a paid leave, was reprimanded in September by the judicial council for "sexual harassment" and "inappropriate behavior" toward female court employees. A majority of judges on the council approved the reprimand based on a secret investigation of a misconduct complaint from Kent's former case manager, Cathy McBroom.
But if House Judiciary committee chairman U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. gets his way Kent may be facing impeachment charges. And Kent’s alleged misdeeds have been reported by McBroom's lawyer to the Justice Department for possible criminal investigation.
Rusty Hardin, McBroom's attorney, filed a formal request for a rehearing on the misconduct complaint Monday, asking the judicial council to instead send the matter to the Judicial Conference of the United States, which has the power to recommend his impeachment.
On Monday, Hardin forwarded a summary of his firm's own investigation to the council. Hardin said half of the 20 witnesses interviewed said they had not been previously contacted by court investigators.
Hardin said he also has contacted the U.S. Department of Justice to request a criminal investigation and will provide it the same information.
McBroom was publicly urged to seek a review of the council's disciplinary action and to pursue criminal charges by three prominent members of the House Judiciary Committee on Nov. 13 — two days after the Houston Chronicle published details of her allegations for the first time.
The statement calling for McBroom to appeal the disciplinary action was signed by House Judiciary committee chairman U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and two other prominent committee members.
Hat tip: Debra Cassens Weiss
U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent, who is on a paid leave, was reprimanded in September by the judicial council for "sexual harassment" and "inappropriate behavior" toward female court employees. A majority of judges on the council approved the reprimand based on a secret investigation of a misconduct complaint from Kent's former case manager, Cathy McBroom.
But if House Judiciary committee chairman U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. gets his way Kent may be facing impeachment charges. And Kent’s alleged misdeeds have been reported by McBroom's lawyer to the Justice Department for possible criminal investigation.
Rusty Hardin, McBroom's attorney, filed a formal request for a rehearing on the misconduct complaint Monday, asking the judicial council to instead send the matter to the Judicial Conference of the United States, which has the power to recommend his impeachment.
"We believe we've uncovered some additional information that may or may not have been presented to (the council) in the original investigation so we thought it was only fair for them to be able to review the information that came from our own investigation," he said.
On Monday, Hardin forwarded a summary of his firm's own investigation to the council. Hardin said half of the 20 witnesses interviewed said they had not been previously contacted by court investigators.
Hardin said he also has contacted the U.S. Department of Justice to request a criminal investigation and will provide it the same information.
McBroom was publicly urged to seek a review of the council's disciplinary action and to pursue criminal charges by three prominent members of the House Judiciary Committee on Nov. 13 — two days after the Houston Chronicle published details of her allegations for the first time.
The statement calling for McBroom to appeal the disciplinary action was signed by House Judiciary committee chairman U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and two other prominent committee members.
Hat tip: Debra Cassens Weiss
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