Posted on 03/05/2004 7:15:14 PM PST by Jean S
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The attorney for the legislative committee investigating Gov. John G. Rowland said Friday that proof of criminal wrongdoing is not necessary to recommend his impeachment.
In a brief to the House Select Committee of Inquiry, Special Counsel Steven Reich wrote that a Connecticut officeholder may be impeached for acts that injure his office or society. Those acts, he said, don't have to violate criminal law.
Rowland's attorneys submitted a brief Monday saying impeachment should be reserved for the most grave official misconduct. Ross Garber, the governor's legal counsel, said Friday he believes both sides agree that impeachment should be reserved for serious matters.
The Republican governor is under fire for accepting gifts for his summer cottage from friends, politically appointed state employees and a state contractor, and then lying about it. Rowland, who is also the subject of a federal corruption investigation, has apologized but said he did not provide anything in return to gift-givers.
The legislative committee has issued 50 subpoenas seeking documents from the governor, friends, businesses and others. Most of the documents were not turned over by Thursday's deadline, and the committee issued an extension.
A contractor, the governor's former co-chief of staff and a friend of Rowland's are fighting the subpoenas in court.
The panel has a flexible mid-April deadline to decide whether to recommend Rowland's impeachment by the full House. If a majority of the House votes to impeach, a two-thirds majority would be required after a trial in the Senate to remove him from office.
AP-ES-03-05-04 2202EST
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