Impeachment
Candlefocus EditorTo date, only three U.S. Presidents have been impeached by the House—Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump in 2019—and all were eventually acquitted by the Senate. All three had been accused of abuse of power and obstruction of justice, which are considered high crimes under the Constitution.
The impeachment process begins in the House. Upon receipt of a formal complaint from the public or members of Congress, the House will delve into the facts of the case, may proceed with a formal or informal investigation, or even launch a full inquiry, which is what happened in the impeachment of President Trump in 2019.
Once satisfied with the facts, the House may initiate the process of impeachment, by drafting formal articles of impeachment and presenting them to the full House for a simple majority vote. If the House approves the articles, the individual being impeached is thereby referred to as an impeached officer.
The matter then goes before the Senate, where a jury of senators will hear arguments from the prosecutors and defense. If two thirds of the jurors conclude that the officer is indeed guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors," then the individual is stripped of power and removed from office.
There are serious political and constitutional implications to impeachment. It is not a process taken lightly and forces both branches of government to examine the merits of the limited number of charges brought against an officer. The severity of the implications associated with impeachment and the potential harsh consequences mandate a careful review and analysis of the facts, from all angles and perspectives. Thinking of impeachment as a means to remove an officer from office, without due regard for the facts or the process itself, is a dangerous way to consider and apply the process.