IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 520 

Impeaching Samuel B. Kent, judge of the United States District Court 

for the Southern District of Texas, for high crimes and misdemeanors. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 9, 2009 

Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. GOODLATTE, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. 

DELAHUNT, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 

FORBES, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. PIERLUISI, and 

Mr. GONZALEZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Impeaching Samuel B. Kent, judge of the United States 

District Court for the Southern District of Texas, for 

high crimes and misdemeanors. 

1 Resolved, That Samuel B. Kent, a judge of the United 

2 States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 

3 is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that 

4 the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the 

5 Senate: 

6 Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of 

7 Representatives of the United States of America in the 

8 name of itself and all of the people of the United States 

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1 of America, against Samuel B. Kent, a judge of the United 

2 States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 

3 in maintenance and support of its impeachment against 

4 him for high crimes and misdemeanors. 

5 ARTICLE I 

6 Incident to his position as a United States district 

7 court judge, Samuel B. Kent has engaged in conduct with 

8 respect to employees associated with the court that is in9 compatible with the trust and confidence placed in him 

10 as a judge, as follows: 

11 (1) Judge Kent is a United States District 

12 Judge in the Southern District of Texas. From 1990 

13 to 2008, he was assigned to the Galveston Division 

14 of the Southern District, and his chambers and 

15 courtroom were located in the United States Post 

16 Office and Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. 

17 (2) Cathy McBroom was an employee of the Of18 fice of the Clerk of Court for the Southern District 

19 of Texas, and served as a Deputy Clerk in the Gal20 veston Division assigned to Judge Kent’s courtroom. 

21 (3) On one or more occasions between 2003 

22 and 2007, Judge Kent sexually assaulted Cathy 

23 McBroom, by touching her private areas directly and 

24 through her clothing against her will and by atWWOODS2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS

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1 tempting to cause her to engage in a sexual act with 

2 him. 

3 Wherefore, Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high 

4 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of5 fice. 

6 ARTICLE II 

7 Incident to his position as a United States district 

8 court judge, Samuel B. Kent has engaged in conduct with 

9 respect to employees associated with the court that is in10 compatible with the trust and confidence placed in him 

11 as a judge, as follows: 

12 (1) Judge Kent is a United States District 

13 Judge in the Southern District of Texas. From 1990 

14 to 2008, he was assigned to the Galveston Division 

15 of the Southern District, and his chambers and 

16 courtroom were located in the United States Post 

17 Office and Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. 

18 (2) Donna Wilkerson was an employee of the 

19 United States District Court for the Southern Dis20 trict of Texas. 

21 (3) On one or more occasions between 2001 

22 and 2007, Judge Kent sexually assaulted Donna 

23 Wilkerson, by touching her in her private areas 

24 against her will and by attempting to cause her to 

25 engage in a sexual act with him. 

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1 Wherefore, Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high 

2 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of3 fice. 

4 ARTICLE III 

5 Samuel B. Kent corruptly obstructed, influenced, or 

6 impeded an official proceeding as follows: 

7 (1) On or about May 21, 2007, Cathy 

8 McBroom filed a judicial misconduct complaint with 

9 the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth 

10 Circuit. In response, the Fifth Circuit appointed a 

11 Special Investigative Committee (hereinafter in this 

12 article referred to as ‘‘the Committee’’) to inves13 tigate Cathy McBroom’s complaint. 

14 (2) On or about June 8, 2007, at Judge Kent’s 

15 request and upon notice from the Committee, Judge 

16 Kent appeared before the Committee. 

17 (3) As part of its investigation, the Committee 

18 sought to learn from Judge Kent and others whether 

19 he had engaged in unwanted sexual contact with 

20 Cathy McBroom and individuals other than Cathy 

21 McBroom. 

22 (4) On or about June 8, 2007, Judge Kent 

23 made false statements to the Committee regarding 

24 his unwanted sexual contact with Donna Wilkerson 

25 as follows: 

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1 (A) Judge Kent falsely stated to the Com2 mittee that the extent of his unwanted sexual 

3 contact with Donna Wilkerson was one kiss, 

4 when in fact and as he knew he had engaged 

5 in repeated sexual contact with Donna 

6 Wilkerson without her permission. 

7 (B) Judge Kent falsely stated to the Com8 mittee that when told by Donna Wilkerson his 

9 advances were unwelcome no further contact oc10 curred, when in fact and as he knew, Judge 

11 Kent continued such advances even after she 

12 asked him to stop. 

13 (5) Judge Kent was indicted and pled guilty 

14 and was sentenced to imprisonment for the felony of 

15 obstruction of justice in violation of section 

16 1512(c)(2) of title 18, United States Code, on the 

17 basis of false statements made to the Committee. 

18 The sentencing judge described his conduct as ‘‘a 

19 stain on the justice system itself’’. 

20 Wherefore, Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high 

21 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of22 fice. 

23 ARTICLE IV 

24 Judge Samuel B. Kent made material false and mis25 leading statements about the nature and extent of his nonWWOODS2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS

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1 consensual sexual contact with Cathy McBroom and 

2 Donna Wilkerson to agents of the Federal Bureau of In3 vestigation on or about November 30, 2007, and to agents 

4 of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and representatives 

5 of the Department of Justice on or about August 11, 

6 2008. 

7 Wherefore, Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high 

8 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of9 fice. 

Æ 

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