Article of Impeachment Against Attorney General Benconstine

[bgwah]

Senators, articles of impeachment have been filed against Attorney General Benconstine:

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I am a co sponsor of these.

As am I.

Please discuss the merits of this indictment.

[TNF]

Since his appointment, Ben has not updated the Wiki to any discernible extent. Whole hosts of legislation passed during this session have not been added. There wasn't even a page on the February 2014 Presidential Election until a day or so after it concluded.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Isn't the President is already looking for a new Attorney General?  If so, then I don't really see why this is necessary even if you believe Ben deserves to be impeached.  It seems kind of like yelling "don't let the door hit you on the way out" and don't think he deserves that sort of treatment even if I would liked to have seen him be more active.

[TNF]

Isn't the President is already looking for a new Attorney General?  If so, then I don't really see why this is necessary even if you believe Ben deserves to be impeached.  It seems kind of like yelling "don't let the door hit you on the way out" and don't think he deserves that sort of treatment even if I would liked to have seen him be more active.

Ben has not resigned. If he'd like to do so, I'd be willing to drop this, but until then, this stands. He should be removed from office for egregious neglect of his duties.

[Napoleon]

Isn't the President is already looking for a new Attorney General?  If so, then I don't really see why this is necessary even if you believe Ben deserves to be impeached.  It seems kind of like yelling "don't let the door hit you on the way out" and don't think he deserves that sort of treatment even if I would liked to have seen him be more active.

Ben has not resigned. If he'd like to do so, I'd be willing to drop this, but until then, this stands. He should be removed from office for egregious neglect of his duties.

I agree. If he resigns or gets fired this needs dropped but until then the Senate must act alone where necessary

[Fritz]

After a few days of consideration, I am opening this up to replace my AG, Ben. He has offered his resignation.

If anyone is interested in the job, and you like updating the Wiki, please contact Matt and me.

[TNF]

After a few days of consideration, I am opening this up to replace my AG, Ben. He has offered his resignation.

If anyone is interested in the job, and you like updating the Wiki, please contact Matt and me.

Don't people usually resign in the sign-in thread? If so, then I'd at least like to see that. Ben has neglected to do even that, which isn't surprising when one considers he neglected his duties as Attorney General.

[windjammer]

I strongly encourage Duke to nominate Nappy as Attorney General!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Has anyone contacted him asking him to state publicly that he has resigned?

[Lumine]

As much as I agree with TNF when it comes to the Attorney General's inactivity, the AG already stated his intention to resign, which is why I believe this specific Article of Impeachment is not necessary. And yes, I believe someone should message him just in case.

[President Tyrion]

As much as I agree with TNF when it comes to the Attorney General's inactivity, the AG already stated his intention to resign, which is why I believe this specific Article of Impeachment is not necessary. And yes, I believe someone should message him just in case.

Not publicly, which is the issue.

[bgwah]

Senators, the vote on this impeachment is now open.

[TNF]

Aye

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Has anyone contacted him asking him to state publicly that he has resigned?

As much as I agree with TNF when it comes to the Attorney General's inactivity, the AG already stated his intention to resign, which is why I believe this specific Article of Impeachment is not necessary. And yes, I believe someone should message him just in case.

Not publicly, which is the issue.

I can find no law saying that an officer must resign publicly, and that a statement by the president on the resignation of one of his cabinet members is insufficient. What I'm hearing is that there has been no attempt by those putting forward these articles of impeachment to clarify this question by less drastic means? 

[President Tyrion]

Has anyone contacted him asking him to state publicly that he has resigned?

As much as I agree with TNF when it comes to the Attorney General's inactivity, the AG already stated his intention to resign, which is why I believe this specific Article of Impeachment is not necessary. And yes, I believe someone should message him just in case.

Not publicly, which is the issue.

I can find no law saying that an officer must resign publicly, and that a statement by the president on the resignation of one of his cabinet members is insufficient. What I'm hearing is that there has been no attempt by those putting forward these articles of impeachment to clarify this question by less drastic means? 

This is the most tortured argument possible. Unbelievable, really. Instead of addressing the issue, you're turning it around on the people who actually want active officials in their positions. This is disgraceful and uncalled for.

And sure, I'll stoop to answer the asinine question. There is no discernible proof that we shouldn't be doing what we're doing. Has benconstine in any manner stated in public that he will resign? If the answer were yes, we wouldn't be allowed to have this vote because he wouldn't be in office.

Since he is in office, ostensibly, we are voting to expel him from it. Simple. We don't have any responsibility to pester him into resigning publicly, and we don't have the right to ask to view the private messages of our President. So let's just do what we CAN do. Vote.

AYE

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

And sure, I'll stoop to answer the asinine question.

I'm still waiting on your answer, then.  But since none will be forthcoming

NAY

I have no reason to believe the President is lying to us when he says Ben resigned, and if the President wants to appoint someone else to this position, as he has stated he is interested in doing, an impeachment is not necessary in any case.

[bore]

Aye

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Nay

[President Tyrion]

And sure, I'll stoop to answer the asinine question.

I'm still waiting on your answer, then.  But since none will be forthcoming

NAY

I have no reason to believe the President is lying to us when he says Ben resigned, and if the President wants to appoint someone else to this position, as he has stated he is interested in doing, an impeachment is not necessary in any case.

Duke never stated that Ben resigned, only that he "offered" his resignation, which I think any Senator, in the interest of actually doing his job, should interpret in the lightest sense of the term. A resignation is not made official until actually processed by the powers that be.

If Ben has resigned, then why the Nay votes? You can't impeach an officer who doesn't hold the position.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

If Ben has resigned, then why the Nay votes? You can't impeach an officer who doesn't hold the position.

Because you've decided to proceed with the vote, and Senators don't want to send the wrong message.

As to why I haven't responded, the answer is simple.  The President and I discussed this impeachment, and decided together not to respond.  He accepted my resignation weeks ago, and publicly announced it.  That's why we are where we are.  This impeachment is thoroughly unnecessary, but y'all clearly want to do it, so have fun.

[Napoleon]

And sure, I'll stoop to answer the asinine question.

I'm still waiting on your answer, then.  But since none will be forthcoming

NAY

I have no reason to believe the President is lying to us when he says Ben resigned, and if the President wants to appoint someone else to this position, as he has stated he is interested in doing, an impeachment is not necessary in any case.

If Ben had resigned the Supreme Court would have declined to open the vote. I wouldn't see how the President comes into play.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Sorry for not clarifying. Ben did offer to resign a few weeks ago, and I did accept, which is why I had an open plea for an AG. I'm sorry for not being clearer or saying he had accepted. Technically Ben is still in office, yes, because I did not say he accepted, which is an oversight on my part, but I figured people would assume since I was looking at a replacement, he was on his way out.

I did not announce his replacement, who will be maxwell, because he just reregistered in Atlasia after his exile. My apologies for this being so unclear. In fact, I'm going to appoint him now...

[Talleyrand]

Aye.

I regret having to do this, but I see no choice unless Ben officially resigns in the appropriate thread to clear up this matter or Duke announces that Ben is no longer AG.

Edit- It's clear this will not pass, but I am still giving a symbolic AYE because of the months the wiki has decayed. It's not personal, but that's the hard truth.

[Lumine]

Well, despite the urgent need for Wiki update and the obvious lack of communication, the President has already apologized and appointed Maxwell, and Ben has clarified his position.

Nay.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

And sure, I'll stoop to answer the asinine question.

I'm still waiting on your answer, then.  But since none will be forthcoming

NAY

I have no reason to believe the President is lying to us when he says Ben resigned, and if the President wants to appoint someone else to this position, as he has stated he is interested in doing, an impeachment is not necessary in any case.

If Ben had resigned the Supreme Court would have declined to open the vote. I wouldn't see how the President comes into play.

The fact that the Supreme Court followed the letter of the law in presiding over a vote on the articles of impeachment doesn't necessarily mean in itself that the impeachment itself is legitimate.
The President's role is that he is the executive of the Cabinet and may dismiss any member of the Cabinet as per Article II. Section 1.5.

If Ben has resigned, then why the Nay votes? You can't impeach an officer who doesn't hold the position.

Right, I can't impeach someone who doesn't hold a position, thus I vote Nay on impeaching such a person.