U.S. District Judge Sam Kent, who, as we reported yesterday, was impeached by the House and was summoned by the Senate to appear in trial proceedings, handed in a letter of resignation to the Senate official who was delivering his subpoena.

Kent is currently serving a prison sentence in a Massachusetts federal prison after lying about sexually assaulting two women.

Only the Senate can remove Federal judges, so Kent has continued to receive his $174,000 annual salary. His resignation will sever him from his job benefits, which has been the goal of some congressional leaders, who have said the $477 per day flow of taxpayer dollars to him is unacceptable.