As expected, Thomas Porteous of New Orleans is no longer a federal judge.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to convict him on all four articles of impeachment that included allegations that he corruptly accepted meals, trips and other gifts from a bail bondsman while serving as a state judge, lied about a bankruptcy filing and failed to disclose his corrupt behavior during the confirmation process for federal judge.
The vote strips him of his lifetime presidential appointment and his $174,000 annual pension, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He was appointed by President Clinton in 1994.
“Today brought closure to the long controversy over my actions as a federal district judge,” he said after the vote, according to the Times-Picayune. “I am deeply saddened to be removed from office but I felt it was important not just to me but to the judiciary to take this fight to the Senate.
“I am deeply grateful to those senators who voted against the articles. While I still believe these allegations did not rise to the level of impeachable offenses as a constitutional matter, I understand how people of good-faith could disagree.
“I will now be returning to Louisiana and my family. My family has been a constant and vital source of support throughout this ordeal. I have previously apologized for the mistakes that I committed in this case. I never disputed many of the underlying facts and I previously accepted punishment in the Fifth Circuit. While I disagree with the decision of the Senate, I must now accept that judgment.”
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