1 , ▁Por te ous ▁file d ▁for ▁bank rupt cy , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁revel ations ▁in ▁the ▁press ▁about ▁his ▁private ▁life , ▁specifically ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁alleg ed ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁close ▁t ies ▁with ▁local ▁b ail ▁bond ▁magn ate ▁Louis ▁Marc otte   III , ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁a ▁cor ruption ▁pro be . ▁Por te ous ▁himself ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁investigation ▁by ▁federal ▁investig ators . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Por te ous , ▁bes et ▁by ▁the ▁recent ▁loss ▁of ▁his ▁home ▁due ▁to ▁H urr icane ▁K atr ina ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁and ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁wife ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁later , ▁and ▁still ▁under ▁investigation ▁by ▁a ▁federal ▁grand ▁j ury , ▁was ▁granted ▁temporary ▁medical ▁leave ▁and ▁began ▁a ▁year - long ▁f url ough ▁from ▁the ▁federal ▁ben ch . ▁ ▁Im pe achment ▁proceed ings ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁Jud icial ▁Conference ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁transm itted ▁a ▁certificate ▁to ▁the ▁Spe aker ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁express ing ▁the ▁Conference ' s ▁determ ination ▁that ▁consideration ▁of ▁im pe achment ▁of ▁Por te ous ▁might ▁be ▁war r anted . ▁The ▁certificate ▁stated ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁substantial ▁evidence ▁that ▁Por te ous ▁" re pe ated ly ▁committed ▁per j ury ▁by ▁signing ▁false ▁financial ▁dis closure ▁forms ▁under ▁o ath