Jake Corman, Pa. Senate leader and candidate for governor, floats impeachment for Philly DA Larry Krasner

Citing the city’s gun violence crisis, the highest ranking member of the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday asked state House leaders to begin impeachment proceedings against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a move derided by the prosecutor’s office as a political stunt with no chance of succeeding.

In a letter to three top House Republicans, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman — a Centre County Republican who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor — contended that the violence was “a direct result of DA Krasner’s failed policies.”

Corman has no authority to begin impeachment proceedings himself, and there is no guarantee the House of Representatives will heed his call. GOP leaders in that chamber were noncommittal, and even Corman’s letter stopped short of saying Krasner deserved to be removed from office.

The letter came as candidates in the crowded GOP gubernatorial primary have jockeyed for attention, often targeting Democrats whom they view as overly liberal or “woke” on issues including criminal justice reform and public safety. Corman’s spokesperson, Jason Thompson, denied that Tuesday’s request was a political ploy.

Still, Krasner’s spokesperson, Jane Roh, called the impeachment request a “stunt” meant to distract attention from the Republican-led legislature’s failure to pass meaningful laws to tackle gun violence.

“Jake Corman would rather point fingers at someone who’s been in office for four years than take accountability for what he’s failed to deliver for the past 25 in a seat he inherited from his father,” Roh said.

Krasner, a reform-oriented Democrat who in November was easily reelected to a second term, has frequently faced criticism from his opponents, including many Republican officials. Last week, he was targeted by state Rep. Martina White, the Northeast Philadelphian who introduced a bill that would prevent Krasner from seeking a third term in office. That bill faces steep odds of ever becoming law.

The critiques have come as gun violence in Philadelphia has soared to unprecedented levels over the past two years, with more than 1,000 people killed in homicides since the beginning of 2020. While experts caution that pinpointing causes could take years to sort out, shootings have continued at an alarming rate this year: According to police, 30 people have been slain in the first 17 days of 2022.

Thompson said even though Corman believed the House should initiate impeachment proceedings, the Senate president had not yet made up his mind as to whether Krasner should actually be impeached. That would be a decision Corman would make if the impeachment process were to move forward, Thompson said.

Some state Republicans in recent years have threatened impeachment for officials including Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, and Philadelphia’s election officials. Those efforts went nowhere.

Any similar legislative attempt to remove Krasner from office would face a number of significant hurdles.

Under the Pennsylvania Constitution, the state House has the sole power to impeach a public official, a lengthy and elaborate process that begins with members introducing articles of impeachment, investigating the accused officeholder’s alleged misbehavior, and gathering evidence before a vote.

If a majority of state House members vote to impeach, the case moves to a trial in the state Senate. A conviction in that chamber requires two-thirds of the members to vote for the officeholder’s removal.

Jason Gottesman, a spokesperson for House Republicans, was critical of Krasner but did not say if that caucus planned to take up the issue of impeachment: “We are not closing the door on any remedy,” he wrote in an email.

Impeachment in Pennsylvania has been rare. The last time an elected official was convicted by the state Senate was in 1994, when ex-state Supreme Court Justice Rolf Larsen was found to have improperly discussed cases with a Pittsburgh attorney outside of court.