[1] The certificate stated that there was substantial evidence that Judge Porteous "repeatedly committed perjury by signing false financial disclosure forms under oath,"[2] thus concealing "cash and things of value that he solicited and received from lawyers appearing in litigation before him.
[3] The certificate also stated that there was substantial evidence that Porteous had "repeatedly committed perjury by signing false financial disclosure forms under oath[2]" in connection with his bankruptcy, allowing "him to obtain a discharge of his debts while continuing his lifestyle at the expense of his creditors",[2] and that he had "made false representations to gain the extension of a bank loan with the intent to defraud the bank".
[4][5] On October 15, 2008 House Judiciary Chair John Conyers announced that Alan I. Barron had been hired as Special Counsel[6] to lead an inquiry into Judge Porteous' impeachment.
Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) were designated as Chair and Ranking Member, respectively to lead the task force conducting the inquiry.
[7] The resolution was sponsored by Rep. John Conyers, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee[7] and was proposed because the investigation ended with the previous Congress and a renewal was needed.
[8] In October 2009, Reps. Conyers and Lamar Smith introduced a resolution[9] asking to access the judge's tax returns as part of the investigation.
[11] On November 13 Porteous sued the task force, claiming that the panel was violating his Fifth Amendment rights by using testimony given under immunity in making the case against him.
[15] After a version of Voir dire, a jury of senators was chosen to serve on the committee: Amy Klobuchar, MN, Sheldon Whitehouse, RI, Tom Udall, NM, Jeanne Shaheen, NH, Edward Kaufman, DE for the Democrats, and Jim DeMint, SC, John Barrasso, WY, Roger Wicker, MS, Mike Johanns, NE and James Risch, ID for the Republicans.
In an emotional moment, Wilkerson described trying to tell her teenage daughter to never endure any sexual misconduct, even if it meant harsh consequences such as losing her job.