Justice Department broadening investigation of Kent

[douglas9]

Source: Houston Chronicle

A Justice Department investigation into the sexual conduct of U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent has expanded to include allegations that he accepted but failed to report gifts and also sold his home in a deal arranged by a lawyer with dozens of cases in his court, Kent's own attorney and other lawyers have confirmed.

The ongoing investigation was launched last year after Kent's former case manager complained that the judge sexually molested her. Since then, several prominent attorneys have been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors to appear before a Houston grand jury involving other allegations of judicial misconduct, according to documents and interviews obtained by the Chronicle.

Months ago, investigators began asking about parties, a 2001 trip to London and meals attorneys had bought for Kent at Galveston restaurants — often on days they did business in his court, lawyers and former co-workers said.

According to Kent's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, they also requested records about a real estate deal in which one of those attorneys, Kurt Arnold, helped persuade his mother to buy Kent's home in the city of Galveston.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5897425.html

[yourout]

1. Is this guy another Rove hand picked Bush toadie?

[melm00se]

2. nominated by

Bush in 1990...been around a while.

http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/tGetInfo?jid=1261

[yourout]

3. Well I was close......A Bush toadie...just the wrong Bush.

[mwb970]

4. I knew he was a Republican from the headline, but the article doesn't mention it.

This "Samuel Kent" fellow is a real piece of work. Here's a quote I found on Jonathan Turley's website from last January:

Criminal Investigation of Judge Samuel Kent Goes Beyond Sexual Misconduct
(by Jonathan Turley, January 22, 2008)

In the latest indication of how serious the current investigation of U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent may be, it was revealed this week that the FBI is investigating possible crimes beyond his alleged sexual misconduct with a court employee.

Kent was suspended from the bench and reprimanded by the 5th Judicial Circuit after Cathy McBroom, his case manager, filed a formal complaint against him.

She complained that Kent called her into his office, pushed up her shirt and bra, put his mouth on her breast and tried to force her head into his crotch, her mother and her attorney have said.

This makes it even more obvious that Kent is a Republican (this is how they tend to behave when they have power), although this article doesn't (need to) mention that fact either.

I'm sick of Republicans!!

[Supersedeas]

5. TX Justice?