Pennsylvania Lawmaker Wants To Impeach State’s AG For Refusal To Defend Same-Sex Marriage Ban

[DonViejo]

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced July 11, 2013, she would not defend the state’s ban on legal marriage for same-sex couples in court. Her decision is an impeachable offense, according to a Republican lawmaker pushing to remove her from office.

Tony Merevick
BuzzFeed Staff

A Pennsylvania lawmaker will hold a hearing Tuesday on his effort to impeach Attorney General Kathleen Kane for her “misbehavior in office” — including refusing to defend the state’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples in court.
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican of Butler County and chair of the House State Government Committee, called for Kane’s impeachment last year, saying, “Attorney General Kane’s repeated violation of her constitutional, statutory and ethical duties cannot be tolerated if our system of government is to work properly.”

Lawmakers on the committee will consider Metcalfe’s amendment to House Resolution 578, a measure originally introduced to honor Kane as the first woman to serve as the state’s attorney general, in which he argues for her impeachment. A vote on the matter is not scheduled. Metcalfe’s prior attempt to push an impeachment resolution, HR 572, stalled in the House Judiciary Committee late last year.

Metcalfe contends Kane violated her oath of office in announcing she would not defend the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, which bars same-sex couples from legally marrying, in a legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union last July. Additional impeachable offenses, Metcalfe said, include Kane’s decision to close an investigative operation that allegedly details Philadelphia-area lawmakers accepting bribes and gifts, among other charges, according to The Patriot-News.

In October, Kane issued a statement in response to Metcalfe’s call for her impeachment, saying in part, “It is unfortunate that Rep. Metcalfe has such little respect for the people of Pennsylvania. It is also unfortunate and embarrassing that Rep. Metcalfe has such limited knowledge of the laws or perhaps poor understanding of time-tested, clearly enumerated legal principles.”

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