III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 520 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 24, 2009 

Received 

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 

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

10 States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 

11 in maintenance and support of its impeachment against 

12 him for high crimes and misdemeanors. 


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HRES 520 RDS 

1 ARTICLE I 

2 Incident to his position as a United States district 

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

4 respect to employees associated with the court that is in5 compatible with the trust and confidence placed in him 

6 as a judge, as follows: 

7 (1) Judge Kent is a United States District 

8 Judge in the Southern District of Texas. From 1990 

9 to 2008, he was assigned to the Galveston Division 

10 of the Southern District, and his chambers and 

11 courtroom were located in the United States Post 

12 Office and Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. 

13 (2) Cathy McBroom was an employee of the Of14 fice of the Clerk of Court for the Southern District 

15 of Texas, and served as a Deputy Clerk in the Gal16 veston Division assigned to Judge Kent’s courtroom. 

17 (3) On one or more occasions between 2003 

18 and 2007, Judge Kent sexually assaulted Cathy 

19 McBroom, by touching her private areas directly and 

20 through her clothing against her will and by at21 tempting to cause her to engage in a sexual act with 

22 him. 

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

24 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of25 fice. 


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HRES 520 RDS 

1 ARTICLE II 

2 Incident to his position as a United States district 

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

4 respect to employees associated with the court that is in5 compatible with the trust and confidence placed in him 

6 as a judge, as follows: 

7 (1) Judge Kent is a United States District 

8 Judge in the Southern District of Texas. From 1990 

9 to 2008, he was assigned to the Galveston Division 

10 of the Southern District, and his chambers and 

11 courtroom were located in the United States Post 

12 Office and Courthouse in Galveston, Texas. 

13 (2) Donna Wilkerson was an employee of the 

14 United States District Court for the Southern Dis15 trict of Texas. 

16 (3) On one or more occasions between 2001 

17 and 2007, Judge Kent sexually assaulted Donna 

18 Wilkerson, by touching her in her private areas 

19 against her will and by attempting to cause her to 

20 engage in a sexual act with him. 

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

22 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of23 fice. 


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HRES 520 RDS 

1 ARTICLE III 

2 Samuel B. Kent corruptly obstructed, influenced, or 

3 impeded an official proceeding as follows: 

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

5 McBroom filed a judicial misconduct complaint with 

6 the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth 

7 Circuit. In response, the Fifth Circuit appointed a 

8 Special Investigative Committee (hereinafter in this 

9 article referred to as ‘‘the Committee’’) to inves10 tigate Cathy McBroom’s complaint. 

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

12 request and upon notice from the Committee, Judge 

13 Kent appeared before the Committee. 

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

15 sought to learn from Judge Kent and others whether 

16 he had engaged in unwanted sexual contact with 

17 Cathy McBroom and individuals other than Cathy 

18 McBroom. 

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

20 made false statements to the Committee regarding 

21 his unwanted sexual contact with Donna Wilkerson 

22 as follows: 

23 (A) Judge Kent falsely stated to the Com24 mittee that the extent of his unwanted sexual 

25 contact with Donna Wilkerson was one kiss, 


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HRES 520 RDS 

1 when in fact and as he knew he had engaged 

2 in repeated sexual contact with Donna 

3 Wilkerson without her permission. 

4 (B) Judge Kent falsely stated to the Com5 mittee that when told by Donna Wilkerson his 

6 advances were unwelcome no further contact oc7 curred, when in fact and as he knew, Judge 

8 Kent continued such advances even after she 

9 asked him to stop. 

10 (5) Judge Kent was indicted and pled guilty 

11 and was sentenced to imprisonment for the felony of 

12 obstruction of justice in violation of section 

13 1512(c)(2) of title 18, United States Code, on the 

14 basis of false statements made to the Committee. 

15 The sentencing judge described his conduct as ‘‘a 

16 stain on the justice system itself’’. 

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

18 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of19 fice. 

20 ARTICLE IV 

21 Judge Samuel B. Kent made material false and mis22 leading statements about the nature and extent of his non23 consensual sexual contact with Cathy McBroom and 

24 Donna Wilkerson to agents of the Federal Bureau of In25 vestigation on or about November 30, 2007, and to agents 


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HRES 520 RDS 

1 of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and representatives 

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

3 2008. 

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

5 crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from of6 fice. 

Attest: NANCY PELOSI, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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