Pennsylvania State Representative Tim Bonner (R-Grove City) will serve as lead manager of the Senate impeachment trial of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) over the next few weeks.
State House Speaker Bryan Cutler (R-Quarryville) appointed Bonner to head the three-person team of House managers on Friday. State Representatives Craig Williams (R-Chadds Ford) and Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) will round out the group. (State law requires at least one impeachment manager to come from the House minority party.)
Bonner, who served for 18 years as a prosecutor for the commonwealth and before that for Mercer County, expressed gratitude for being chosen to head the case against Krasner.
“It is a solemn responsibility to present the evidence in the impeachment proceedings in the Pennsylvania Senate against Mr. Krasner,” Bonner said in a statement after his appointment. “As a House manager, it is my duty to present the evidence in support of a fair and just outcome regarding the allegations against Mr. Krasner. I am committed to ensuring a just outcome for Mr. Krasner and for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Last week, the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted nearly along party lines to commence a Senate trial contemplating the Philadelphia district attorney’s removal. The impeachment resolution, authored by Representative Martina White (R-Philadelphia), charged Krasner with being “derelict in his obligations to the victims of crime, the people of the city of Philadelphia and of this commonwealth and [of] fail[ing] to uphold his oath of office….”
White’s measure averred that Krasner declined to adequately enforce state laws for ideological reasons to the detriment of the City of Brotherly Love which has endured violent crime rates the likes of which Philadelphia has never seen before. Last year, the city’s murder rate reached an all-time high of 561. Already this year, 461 homicides have taken place there.
Cutler voiced confidence in the ability of Bonner, Williams, and Solomon to conduct robust and thorough impeachment proceedings. Williams is a former federal prosecutor, and Solomon is a former Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s officer who worked in military legal matters.
Like all other House Democrats, Solomon did not vote last week in favor of White’s impeachment resolution. This September, however, he did join a majority of House Democrats in voting with Republicans in favor of holding Krasner in contempt for failing to comply with legislative subpoenas requesting evidence from the city prosecutor’s office.
“These members exemplify the competency and character required in this moment,” the speaker said after appointing them. “Their credibility cannot be understated, and each of their diverse experiences and education will help ensure this process is treated with the utmost professionalism and thoroughness. This trial must be transparent and presented at the highest possible standard, something this committee is more than capable of doing.”
The effort to convict Krasner faces long odds in the state Senate. While Republicans and one GOP-aligned independent hold 29 of the chamber’s 50 seats, a guilty verdict requires two-thirds of senators to assent.
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Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Larry Krasner” by Larry Krasner for DA. Photo “Tim Bonner” by Tim Bonner. Background Photo “Courtroom” by Clyde Robinson. CC BY 2.0.
