SHAHEEN SELECTED FOR BIPARTISAN IMPEACHMENT COMMITTEE FOR JUDGE SAMUEL KENT

(Washington, D.C.) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today announced that he has selected U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen to serve on a bipartisan committee to gather and present evidence in the impeachment trial process for Judge Samuel Kent of Texas.  The committee will present evidence to the full Senate prior to an impeachment trial, which will be held in the coming weeks.  This morning the Senate received the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives, which voted to impeach the judge last week. 

"The charges against Judge Kent are very disturbing, and the constitutional duty of the Senate to hold impeachment trials is very serious," said Shaheen.  "I look forward to serving on this bipartisan committee and am hopeful we'll be able to present a full record to our colleagues as soon as possible."

After the bipartisan impeachment committee has concluded its work, it will produce a record of its proceedings and a neutral summary of the evidence for the full Senate to review.  The Senate will then hold a trial, following which a vote will be held requiring two-thirds of the Senators present to convict the judge on an article of impeachment.  If the judge is convicted on any of the four articles of impeachment, he will automatically be removed from office.

The members of the committee are as follows:

Democrats

Senator Claire McCaskill, of Missouri, Chair

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, of Rhode Island

Senator Ted Kaufman, of Delaware

Senator Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire

Senator Tom Udall, of New Mexico

Republicans

Senator Mel Martinez, of Florida, Vice Chair

Senator Jim DeMint, of South Carolina

Senator John Barrasso, of Wyoming

Senator Roger Wicker, of Mississippi

Senator Mike Johanns, of Nebraska

Senator James E. Risch, of Idaho