Henry S. Johnston - Impeachment

Impeachment

Johnston returned to serve some months without any harassment from the Legislature. However, everything changed toward the end of 1928. That year, the Democrats had selected Alfred Smith as their Presidential nominee to challenge the Republican Herbert Hoover. Supporting his Democratic ally, Johnston campaigned in the state on Smith’s behalf. Smith, a Catholic, supported the end of Prohibition and he spoke out against “religious bigots.” Hoover won the presidency in an overwhelming national landslide with 58% of the popular vote. In Oklahoma Hoover did even better and trounced Smith with 63.7% of the vote and many Oklahoma Republicans won state offices due to his coattails, including seats on the Oklahoma Supreme Court, a near majority in the Oklahoma House, and considerable gains in the Oklahoma Senate. Johnston was left alone as the only strong Democratic figure in the state.

When the Legislature met in regular session in 1929, both Democrats and Republicans crafted a second wave of impeachment charges. Of the thirteen charges presented by the House, the Senate accepted eleven. On January 21, Johnston was officially suspended from office and Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma William J. Holloway became acting Governor. Johnston’s impeachment trial began on February 6 and would last over six weeks. The trial came to an end on March 20 with the Senate removing Johnston from office on the eleventh charge: general incompetence. All other charges were dismissed. The same day, Lt. Governor Holloway became the eighth Governor of Oklahoma. He was the second Lt. Governor to succeed to the Governorship in state history—both during the 1920s.