HOUSTON (AP) _ A Republican who serves on the congressional judiciary committee says he intends to seek the impeachment of U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent once he is sentenced in May.
Wisconsin Congressman James Sensenbrenner said yesterday he will introduce a resolution to impeach the 59-year-old judge who pleaded guilty Monday to lying to investigators about sexually abusing his secretary in exchange for prosecutors dropping five sex-crime charges.
Those charges alleged Kent groped the secretary and another female court employee.
As part of the plea agreement, Kent admitted he tried to force his former case manager into unwanted sex acts in August 2003 and March 2007, and did the same with his secretary from 2004 through at least 2005.
Kent is asking to retire under a disability exception so he can continue collecting a federal paycheck.
The Houston Chronicle reported Sensenbrenner said, “Felons don’t belong on the bench or in Congress.”