Impeachment

Impeachment

• Impeach = means to accuse and put on trial (not remove)

• IT DOES NOT MEAN REMOVE!!!!!!• Can be impeached for following– Treason, Bribery

and High Crimes or Misdemeanors.• The only punishment for impeachment is removal of

office!!! • There are no criminal or civil charges in an

impeachment, it’s only to determine removal from office.

How does it work?• According to the Constitution – Congress is

given the power to impeach- • Step 1 – The House of Representatives votes

to impeach .A majority needed to send to hearing = 218/435. House writes Articles of Impeachment (reasons)

• Step 2- Senate conducts a trial/hearing .If Guilty, President is removed from office. If not, they remain in office.” A 2/3 vote of guilty is needed for removal = 67/100, anything less means all charges are acquitted (dropped).

Who?

• Two Presidents have been impeached, but not removed. 1. Andrew Johnson 1868 2. Bill Clinton 1998

• Nixon faced impeachment, but resigned

Impeachment – Removal - Resignation

• Impeached = accused, put on “trial” to see if any violations occurred

• Removed = if found “Guilty” on grounds of impeachment articles, the person MUST be removed from that office!

• Resigned = to willingly leave office before your term has expired.

Andrew Johnson• Took office in 1865 following Abraham

Lincoln’s assassination• Johnson and Radical Republicans in Congress

disagreed on EVERYTHING and constantly fought over how to handle the South.

• Constant bickering led to many problems – like Johnson vetoing bills & Congress overriding them

Johnson’s Trial

• One of the primary reasons he was impeached was because he fired a cabinet member, Edwin Stanton the Secretary of War, without the consent of the Senate – Violated the Tenure of Office Act.

• Tenure of Office Act – said cabinet members cannot be fired w/o consent

• His argument was that Lincoln did not renew Stanton’s job in 1865 after the election, so therefore Stanton did not fall under the act.

Johnson

• The House voted to impeach Johnson in 1868 on Eleven Impeachment Articles (accusations).

• Accused him on 11 different items• Found NOT GUILTY , but only by ONE vote for

one charge!!!!!!

Bill Clinton• Took office in 1993• Former Governor of Arkansas• Might have been involved in illegal land deal

while Governor (Whitewater)– he will go to regular court

• Kenneth Starr begins investigation into Clinton’s involvement

• At same time Clinton was in federal court with Paula Jones, Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky—this is not WHY he was impeached!

Bill Clinton Continued• In addition to the Whitewater scandal,

accusations that he might have abused his Power as President

• House voted to impeach on four accusations1. Perjury during Kenneth Starr’s Whitewater

investigations. 2. Perjury during Paula Jones case 3. Obstruction of Justice during Paula Jones

case 4. Abuse of Power

The Trial

• The Senate began hearings in 1998• Perjury = lying under Oath• Obstruction of Justice = knowingly withholding

evidence• On all impeachment articles Clinton was found

“Not Guilty” and completed his term as President.

Richard Nixon

• Took office in 1969 and won his 2nd term that began in 1973• A series of accusations arose in 1973 that Nixon’s

administration had tried to sabotage the Democrats in the 1972 elections.

• Republicans were accused of breaking into the Democratic Headquarters at Watergate Hotel – This is where we get the name Watergate Scandal

• Two leading journalists took this story and ran with it (Bernstein and Woodward) with the help of their secret informant “Deep Throat” who revealed info about Nixon’s involvement.

Nixon

• House voted to impeached Nixon on High Crimes for Obstruction in 1974

• In August of 1974, Nixon resigned from Office of the President- succeeding him Gerald Ford.

• To date, Richard Nixon is the only person to resign from Office of the President.