IMPEACHMENT DELAY FOR JUDI MORIARTY PLEASES RICHARDSON

JEFFERSON CITY -- Rep. Mark Richardson was feeling better Friday because the impeachment process of Secretary of State Judith Moriarty had been slowed.

Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, had said Thursday the process was moving too fast.

The process was be done in a more deliberate fashion, he said.

Richardson, one of two Republicans serving on the five-member impeachment committee, said Friday he had been concerned that the committee was expected to get an impeachment article to the House floor by Friday.

But once the committee began meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday, Richardson said he soon became satisfied that time would be taken to hear from witnesses and to study the facts.

"We heard a lot of evidence, some of which was not brought out in her criminal trial," he said. "As we got into things, there were a lot of questions."

Early Friday afternoon, Chairman Gary Witt began polling the committee members to see if they were ready to vote on impeachment.

After Richardson and Rep. Connie Wible, R-Springfield, said they weren't without more information, a decision was made to continue hearings later.

The full House, eager to head home for the weekend after having been kept around for possible action, was advised the committee would resume its work Oct. 3.

Many members waited around the Capitol working in their offices or sitting in on committee hearings, either in the main hearing room or in adjacent rooms where testimony could be heard.

Many House members, who came up for the special session Thursday, had expected to go home the same day.

They were caught off guard by plans to try to finish an impeachment article and go into session Friday.

Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, said many of her colleagues visited Wal-Mart Super Store Thursday night to buy toothpaste, deodorant, pajamas and underwear because of the unexpected overnight stay.

Some members were furious they were held over because the process was moving too fast.

Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, said Friday morning as he waited in his office, that he didn't feel prepared to vote on impeachment.

He pointed out that most members only knew what they had read in newspapers about Moriarty's problems.

Schwab voted Thursday to proceed with impeachment hearings but doubted whether he would vote for any impeachment article without plenty of time to study.

Schwab said he takes impeachment very seriously.

"For me to make a judgment to impeach her I have to be very comfortable with what the situation is," he said. "There is no way we can do that in this short period of time."

Both Schwab and Rep. Bill Foster, R-Poplar Bluff, said action on impeachment shouldn't even be taken up until after Moriarty is sentenced, because if she is sentenced, she automatically forfeits the office.

Foster was one of 46 members who voted against starting impeachment.

He preferred an amendment, defeated Thursday, that would bring the House back into session for impeachment proceedings within 48 hours if Moriarty isn't sentenced.

He complained that doing impeachment now is a waste of tax money and belittles the court system.

Kasten said she would like to see Moriarty resign and clear up the whole matter, but if she wants to stay in office, she is entitled to a fair process.

"They are taking enough time to do the job that they should, so I am feeling much better about the fairness of this whole thing," Kasten said.

Democrats and Republicans had been accusing each other of being partisan on the issue.

Democrats charged that Republicans wanted to delay impeachment proceedings until closer to the Nov. 8 general election so they could use her as a campaign issue.

Republicans countered that Democrats are trying to dispose of an embarrassment by railroading impeachment without regard to Moriarty's constitutional rights to due process.

Richardson said Friday afternoon he believes that cries of partisan politics are fading.

"As we move through this process, it seemed to be obvious to everybody on the committee, and most people in the legislature, that allegations of partisanism are unfounded," he said.

The committee is returning to work Oct. 3 and won't only investigate what led to Moriarty's conviction for an election-law violation but will also look into charges of her handling of the office.

Richardson said he has no idea what the committee's final recommendation will be, but anticipated at least three more days of hearings.

Richardson will be listening intently.

"Several witnesses still need to appear for the defense that provide testimony in support of her position," he said. "But it will take that evidence to close some serious gaps in her testimony, if it can be closed at all."