State legislative Republicans remain committed to a dangerous political stunt that not only threatens to disenfranchise Philadelphians but jeopardizes future state governance.
State House Republicans have voted to impeach Democratic Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, their bogeyman of the moment. Their articles of impeachment accuse Krasner of “misconduct in office,” to comport with the language of the state impeachment statute, but the particulars of those articles make clear that Krasner has not engaged in misconduct.
Rather, Krasner — who was reelected by Philadelphians in November 2021 with more than 70% of the vote — has implemented policies with which the mostly suburban and rural House Republican caucus disagrees. Republican sponsors of the impeachment claim Krasner inappropriately has used his prosecutorial discretion and, as a result, has failed to diminish gun crime in the city.
That is farcical as a matter of politics because the Republican legislative majorities, far more so than Krasner, are responsible for gun violence because they steadfastly have refused to allow Philadelphia to act against gun trafficking.
And it is thin gruel for impeachment. Prosecutorial policy is not misconduct. And Philadelphia voters already have passed their judgment on Krasner’s performance. Contrast those flimsy grounds with those that were used in the most recent impeachment procedure. In 1994, the Legislature impeached and convicted Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larsen for his role in a conspiracy to illegally obtain prescription drugs. That is misconduct.
Beyond the practical absurdity of Republican lawmakers from the hinterlands attempting to dictate Philadelphians’ choice of district attorney, the impeachment is a dangerous precedent.
Impeaching a local official for his policy preferences inherently is undemocratic. Worse, it opens the door to making impeachment proceedings a standard tactic by lawmakers eager to score political points with their bases. It won’t be long before you won’t be able to keep track of your impeachments without your scorecard.
Since conviction by the Senate requires 33 votes and there are 29 Republican senators, it is not likely. But it also is not the point of the exercise. It’s a political dog and pony show meant to demonize the legislative majority’s opposition and, as such, an affront to fair governance in a representative democracy.
— Scranton Times-Tribune via AP
