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Washington • The U.S. Senate found a federal judge from Louisiana guilty on four articles of impeachment Wednesday, stripping him of his position and banning him from ever holding public office again.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who helped lead the Senate inquiry into the judge, only backed two of the impeachment articles, but he ultimately felt the Senate did the right thing in ousting a federal official for only the eighth time in U.S. history.
"He deserved what happened here, but my heart goes out to everybody who has difficulty," said Hatch, noting that former Judge. G. Thomas Porteous had emotional and financial troubles. "I feel sorry for the judge."
The Senate voted unanimously on the first impeachment article, finding that Porteous accepted $20,000 in kickbacks from attorneys whom he assisted.
Utah's senators, Hatch and Bob Bennett, voted against the second article, which involved payoffs the judge received from a bail bondsman, largely while he was a state judge. The Senate convicted Porteous on a vote of 69-27.
Hatch said the judge's actions came before he became a federal official, and he worried about the precedent that vote may set for future impeachment cases.
"It was setting an example that needed to be set," said Hatch, an attorney by training.
Hatch was just one of eight senators to oppose the third impeachment article that involved false claims Porteous made during a personal bankruptcy, including hiding gambling debts. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who, along with Hatch, led the Senate impeachment panel, also voted against this article.
"I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt because his own attorney said he was the one who suggested that [Porteous] do that," Hatch said.
The Senate voted 90-6 on the fourth article, with Hatch and Bennett in the majority, finding Porteous guilty of lying during the confirmation process that resulted in his federal judgeship.
The House impeached Porteous on the four counts earlier this year, which triggers a Senate trial to determine if he should have been stripped of his position. Once he was found guilty, the Senate could also pass a measure banning him from ever holding a public office again, and they did so Wednesday on a vote of 94-2.