Unit 7 Part 3 Impeachment

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Unit 7 Part 3 Impeachment
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Impeachment

• Besides death, disability or resignation the only
  way the President leaves the office is
  impeachment.
• Impeachment gathering evidence and holding a
  trial to determine guilt of wrong doing. - They
  are going through impeachment They went
  through the impeachment process THIS DOES NOT
  MEAN THEY ARE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY!!!!

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Impeachment

• Article 1, Sections 2 and 3 Article II, Section
  4 and Article III, Section 1- Impeachment in the
  Constitution
• The President, Vice President and all Civil
  Officers of the United States, shall be removed
  from Office on Impeachment for Conviction of,
  Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and
  Misdemeanors.

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Impeachment

• It is similar to a criminal trial
• The House of Representatives brings the formal
  charges/ accusations against the president.
• The Senate Holds the trial and makes the
  judgment.
• To be removed from office, must be convicted by a
  two-thirds vote of the Senate, which sits as a
  court, presided over by the Chief Justice of the
  Supreme Court.
• 16 people have been impeached by the house and
  seven convicted by Senate.

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Impeachment

• Only two presidents have been impeached
• Andrew Johnson in 1868
• Bill Clinton in 1998
• Resigned before Impeachment process
• Richard Nixon, in 1974, would have surely been
  impeached had he not resigned.

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Presidential Impeachments
Andrew Johnson 1868 Not Guilty
Bill Clinton 1998 Not Guilty
Richard Nixon 1974 Resigned before impeachment
could begin
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Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

• The case against Johnson was entirely political,
  Radical Republicans wished to punish the South
  after the Civil War.
• They were angry at Johnson, a southerner, who had
  soft policies toward the South.

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Johnson Vote
House 126 Conviction 47 Nay
Senate 35 Conviction 19 Acquittal
Note At this time it took 36 out of 54 Senate
votes to reach the 2/3 majority.
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The Impeachment of Bill Clinton

• He was charged with perjury (lying under oath),
  obstruction of justice, and abuse of power.
• The vote was passed by the House along Party
  lines
• A majority, but not two-thirds, of the Senate
  voted to convict.
• Why did he survive?
• He was likable, economy was strong, nation was at
  peace, he was a centrist.

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Clinton Vote
House Judiciary Committee
Charge Yes by Party No by Party
Perjury 21 Republicans 16 Democrats
Obstruction of Justice 21 Republicans 16 Democrats
Article II 20 Republicans 17 Democrats 1 Republican
Article IV 21 Republicans 16 Democrats
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Clinton Vote
House of Representatives
Charge and Vote Yes by Party No by Party Not Voting
Perjury 228-206 223 Rep 5 Dem 5 Rep 200 Dems 1 Ind 1 Dem
Obstruction of Justice 221-212 216 Rep 5 Dem 12 Rep 199 Dem 1 Ind 2 Dem
Article II 205-229 200 Rep 5 Dem 28 Rep 200 Dem 1 Ind 1 Dem
Article IV 148-285 147 Rep 1 Dem 81 Rep 203 Dem 1 Ind 2 Dem
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Clinton Vote
Senate
Charge and Vote Yes by Party No by Party
Perjury 45-55 45 Rep 45 Dem 10 Rep
Obstruction of Justice 50-50 50 Rep 45 Dem 5 Rep
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Richard M. Nixon

• 37th President of the United States
• Republican
• Watergate and Tapes
• Executive privilege and US vs. Nixon
• Impeachment
• Only House Judiciary
• 3 Articles
• Obstruction of Justice
• Abuse of Power
• Defiance of Subpoenas
• Resignation

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Richard Nixon

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Richard Nixon

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Richard Nixon

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Bill Clinton
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Bill Clinton

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Bill Clinton