PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania House is expected to vote on articles of impeachment against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Wednesday. The articles cleared the Republican-controlled state House Judiciary Committee 14-8 in its final meeting of this session Tuesday morning.
The articles of impeachment moved out of committee on a party-line vote despite more than an hour of impassioned debate.
House Republicans launched the effort in June, accusing Krasner of “despicable behavior” and blaming him for the rise in crime and the city’s ongoing gun violence crisis.
Philadelphia-based Republican state Rep. Martina White introduced the articles and spent about 20 minutes making her case to the committee Tuesday, pointing to the homicide rate that has more than doubled from 2016, when Krasner was sworn in, to 2021.
"Let him have his day at trial over in the Senate," she said. "Let him defend what he's done to our city. I'd love to watch and see what he has to say."
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She said Krasner has proven derelict in his duty as the chief prosecutor, using prosecutorial discretion to refuse to prosecute certain crimes while withdrawing other charges at an abnormally high rate. She said he has misled justices and grand jury members, and he has failed to provide legally required notices to victims of crimes.
She also accused him of firing experienced prosecutors in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, then failing to provide training to inexperienced staff.
Krasner has accused Republicans of trying to overturn the will of Philadelphia voters, noting that Republicans don’t accuse him of committing any direct crimes.
His office said in a statement, “PA House Republicans are spending their final days in a lame-duck majority fighting a lost cause.” His office noted that Krasner was re-elected one year ago, and the House select committee handling the investigation has not recommended impeachment in its two issued reports.
Democrats on the committee unsuccessfully called for a delay until the committee could hold a full hearing, which would have given Krasner an opportunity to testify. The motion fell short, despite Minority Chair and Montgomery County Democrat Tim Briggs calling impeachment the most important thing the committee could ever take up.
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Delaware County Democrat Mike Zabel argued the effort is simply an attempt by a majority to use the Constitution to punish a political rival. He called the articles of impeachment a “kitchen sink approach,” and he said he hasn’t seen anything that justifies impeachment.
He added the vote sets a “terrible precedent that could set Pennsylvania down a very dark and dangerous path. Impeachment of a local official because a legislative majority doesn't like that official's policies? As stewards of this commonwealth, that should terrify us.”
The measure now moves to the full House for a vote on Wednesday. If the House passes the resolution by a simple majority on what is the last scheduled day of the session, it heads to the Senate for a trial, where a two-thirds majority would be required to convict.
Things get interesting going forward as the state House GOP’s 113-90 majority is on the cusp of evaporating. With two state midterm races still outstanding in Bucks and Montgomery counties, Democrats are currently leading Republicans 101 to 100. A 102 majority is needed.
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