3 Pa. House Republicans announce plan to draft articles of impeachment against Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Three Republican members of the Pennsylvania House announced plans to draft articles of impeachment against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
On Monday, Pennsylvania House Republicans Josh Kail, Torren Ecker and Tim O’Neal made the announcement in Harrisburg.
None of the three officials involved represent the constituents of the Philadelphia area.
The announcement of plans to draft articles of impeachment comes as Krasner faces continued criticism about his office’s handling of gun cases in the city plagued by gun violence and rising crime.
Krasner, who is on his second term, was first elected to the role in 2017 with a focus on supporting victims, exonerating innocent people wrongly convicted of crimes and reducing the population of local jails.
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Critics have blamed Krasner and other progressive prosecutors for an increase in gun crimes, while supporters say the rise in crime could be attributed to reduced social services and economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Lives have been lost, property has been destroyed and families have been crushed. Enough is enough," Kail said. "We don’t take this measure lightly. We recognize it is an extraordinary measure, but the actions that the Da have taken are extraordinary and we have tried a more measured approach in the House of Representatives, but to no avail."
In a release, the House Republicans said "The June 5th South Street shooting underscored the need to take immediate action to ensure the district attorney is enforcing the law in Philadelphia."
Krasner responded to the impeachment reports during a gun violence press conference in Philadelphia on Monday:
"I have to tell you that I’m not surprised that when you actually stand up for the counting of votes in Pennsylvania, when you stand up for black and brown votes in the city of Philadelphia, when you stand up for the city of Philadelphia, there are going to be some legislators who are members of a political party that is very close to the people we are going after now because of their crimes, there is going to be resistance. There is nothing new about there being resistance when you’re trying to bring meaningful change. What they are doing in terms of impeachment is clearly without a legal basis, and clearly unconstitutional, and that will all come out as this proceeds, if proceeds at all."
The group is urging people impacted by Krasner's rulings in Philadelphia to share their stories online.
The process for the group to impeach Krasner requires several steps. First, the groups must introduce the official articles of impeachment, and then they will be referred to a committee. If approved by a committee, the articles of impeachment would then be considered by the full House of Representatives.
If approval is granted by the House, then a trial in the Senate would be held to determine whether Krasner should be removed from office.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.