Legal Beat

After setting aside the impeachment of Samuel B. Kent, Congress can now move onto to the investigation of another federal judge.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 30-0 on Wednesday to grant immunity to eight witnesses in the impeachment inquiry of Judge G. Thomas Porteous, alleged to have lied on bankruptcy financial disclosure forms.

Committee members said the immunity orders for eight witnesses were necessary since some of them had invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.