The Minnesota Senate voted unanimously to oust a Tax Court judge that Gov. Mark Dayton reappointed -- and now wants to remove from office.
The Senate voted 57-0 against a motion to confirm George Perez, which means Perez must leave office.
This month, a panel of the Board of Judicial Standards recommended sanctions against Perez for missing deadlines for decisions and falsifying dates to cover up the delays. Dayton then asked the Senate to refuse to confirm Perez, saying he would never have reappointed him had he known of the complaints.
"I believe that Judge Perez's reported misconduct violates the integrity of our state's judicial system, and that his continued service is not in the best interest of Minnesota citizens," Dayton said in a letter to legislators.
Perez was initially appointed in 1997 and became Chief Judge in 2001. Dayton reappointed him in 2011.
