WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate found federal Judge Thomas Porteous guilty of two counts of corruption and two counts of lying Wednesday and ordered him removed from office.
Sitting as a court of impeachment, the Senate overwhelmingly said Porteous, sitting in New Orleans, was guilty of corruption, engaged in longstanding pattern of corruption, lied in a bankruptcy filing about his assets, gambling losses and debt, and lied to the Senate and FBI during his judicial conformation investigation hearing.
"Guilty," senators said as their names were called.
The closest vote was 67-27 on the second article of impeachment charging the judge displayed a "longstanding" pattern of corrupt conduct with a former bail-bondsman.
The Senate also voted to disqualify Porteous from holding office at any future date.
The House of Representatives approved four articles of impeachment against Porteous in March. The judge is accused of accepting free meals and gifts, including cash, from lawyers and a bail-bond company having business before him when he was a Jefferson Parish judge in Louisiana.
The Senate has heard 19 impeachment cases and Porteous's conviction is the eighth. He has served on the federal bench New Orleans since 1994.
