By Bruce Alpert, Times-Picayune
January 27, 2010, 11:43AM
The House Judiciary Committee today unanimously approved four articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous.tee today unanimously approved four articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous.
The panel, consisting of 23 Democrats and 16 Republicans, sent the articles to the full House of Representatives.
A vote by a majority of the 435-member House to impeach Porteous, 63, would result in a Senate trial on whether to remove the New Orleans judge, a 1994 appointee of President Bill Clinton, from office. It takes a two-thirds vote in the Senate to remove a judge from what otherwise is a lifetime appointment.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said he expected the issue to go to the full House soon.
"It's a matter of weeks, not months," Schiff said.
A Judiciary Committee impeachment task force voted 8-0 Thursday to recommend the four articles of impeachment.
The articles accuse Porteous of seeking and taking kickbacks and other gifts, including money, trips and free meals at expensive restaurants from lawyers and a bail bond company with business before him. The task force also drew up articles that accuse Porteous of not disclosing improper conduct as a state judge to the Senate or the FBI during his 1994 appointment and confirmation process and making false statements in a personal bankruptcy filing.