宾夕法尼亚州共和党领导的州众议院以压倒性多数投票弹劾费城地区检察官拉里·克拉斯纳，指控他对犯罪的态度松懈，对刑事罪犯的宽大处理和其他指控。
众议院周三以107比85的投票结果将此事提交给共和党控制的州参议院。这为2007年宾夕法尼亚州第一次参议院弹劾审判奠定了基础将近三十年了。
在州参议院以29比21的多数席位，共和党人需要三分之二的投票才能定罪并罢免克拉斯纳。
在…里他们弹劾克拉斯纳的决议众议院共和党人引用了他们所谓的他对犯罪的宽松态度，包括他的办公室寻求对罪犯更宽大判决的政策，以及他没有起诉一些低级别的罪行，如持有毒品和卖淫。
克拉斯纳在一份声明中说那次投票是州议会唯一一次“因为不喜欢他们的想法而使用弹劾当选官员的激烈手段”
他指责众议院共和党人在没有提出“一丝一毫的证据将我们的政策与任何犯罪上升联系起来”的情况下弹劾他
“历史将严厉评判这种抹杀费城选票的反民主独裁行为——费城黑人、棕色人种和穷人的选票。选民将有最后的发言权，”他补充说。
共和党人指责克拉斯纳和他的政策费城枪支暴力激增在过去的几年里，这一趋势在全国各地的城市中保持一致自从疫情开始以来。
介绍弹劾条款的共和党众议员玛蒂娜·怀特说在周三的投票中:“这个人否认我们的街道上甚至存在犯罪危机。”
迄今为止，费城今年发生了460起凶杀案，比2021年下降了5%，根据城市审计办公室的说法。2021年发生了562起凶杀案，比2020年增加了13%。
州共和党人还指控克拉斯纳阻碍了众议院对他办公室的调查。
克拉斯纳的办公室在10月份提交了一份动议，试图撤销州立法委员会发出的传票，该传票寻求弹劾他的理由，并将其描述为“出于政治动机的努力”在一份声明中。在一个给委员会的信克拉斯纳指责他们未能说明弹劾他的依据，并一再拒绝与他交谈
克拉斯纳是其中之一近年来当选的许多进步检察官人们越来越担心美国刑事司法系统中的种族主义和过度监禁。
根据当地新闻媒体的报道，克拉斯纳去年以压倒性优势再次当选，得到了居住在历史上受枪支暴力影响最大的社区的黑人选民的大力支持费城论坛报酒店和费城问询报。
他的办公室还报告说，暴力犯罪和所有类型的犯罪与20世纪90年代相比处于历史低位。
州众议院民主党人认为共和党人正在为更广泛的犯罪问题寻找替罪羊，指责他们滥用立法权达到政治目的。
民主党众议员乔安娜·麦克林顿的选区包括费城的部分地区，她指责共和党人想在周三的众议院会议上“推翻”选民的意愿。
“弹劾现在似乎是我们在公共政策上有分歧时使用的一种手段，”麦克林顿说。
Why Philadelphia's district attorney was impeached by Pennsylvania's Republican-led House
Pennsylvania's Republican-led State House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner over what they allege is his lax approach to crime, leniency toward criminal offenders and other allegations.
The House's 107-85 vote on Wednesday will send the matter to the Republican-controlled State Senate. This sets the stage for what would be the first Pennsylvania Senate impeachment trial innearly three decades.
With a 29-21 majority in the state Senate, Republicans will need a two-third vote to convict and remove Krasner from office.
Intheir resolution to impeach Krasner, State House Republicans cited what they called his alleged lax approach to crime, including his office's policies to seek more lenient sentences for offenders, as well as his failure to prosecute some low-level offenses such as drug possession and prostitution.
Krasnersaid in a statementthat the vote was the only time the state House has ever "used the drastic remedy of impeachment of an elected official because they do not like their ideas."
He accused House Republicans of impeaching him without presenting a "single shred of evidence connecting our policies to any uptick in crime."
"History will harshly judge this anti-Democratic authoritarian effort to erase Philly's votes – votes by Black, brown, and broke people in Philadelphia. And voters will have the last word," he added.
Republicans have blamed Krasner and his policies for asurge in gun violence in Philadelphiaover the past few years, a trend consistent in cities across the countrysince the start of the pandemic.
Republican State Representative Martina White, who introduced the impeachment articles, saidat Wednesday's vote: "This man has denied that there is even a crisis of crime happening on our streets."
To date, there have been 460 homicides in Philadelphia this year, a 5% decrease from 2021,according to the city's Office of the Controller. There were 562 homicides in 2021, a 13% increase from 2020.
State Republicans also alleged Krasner obstructed the House's investigation of his office.
Krasner's office filed a motion in October seeking to quash a subpoena issued by the state legislative committee searching for grounds to impeach him, describing it as a "politically motivated effort"in a statement. In aletter to the committee, Krasner accused them of failing to specify the basis of his impeachment and repeatedly refusing to speak with him
Krasner is one ofmany progressive prosecutors elected in recent yearsamid growing concerns about racism and over-incarceration in the U.S. criminal justice system.
Krasner was overwhelmingly reelected by voters last year with significant support from Black voters living in neighborhoods historically most impacted by gun violence, according to reports from local news outlets likeThe Philadelphia TribuneandThe Philadelphia Inquirer.
His office also reported that violent crime and all categories of crime remain historically low compared with the 1990s.
State House Democrats contend Republicans are scapegoating Krasner for wider problems with crime, accusing them of abusing legislative power for political ends.
Democratic Representative Joanna McClinton, whose district includes parts of Philadelphia, accused Republicans of wanting to "overturn the will" of the electorate during the House session on Wednesday.
"Impeachment now seems to be a measure that we're using when we have a disagreement on public policy," McClinton said.
