GOP Rep. Thomas Massie Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Pete Hegseth for ‘High Crimes and Misdemeanors’

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Tuesday.

Massie cited “high crimes and misdemeanors” as the reason.

“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2A1 of rule 9, I seek recognition to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the house. The form of the resolution is as follows. This is the case,” Massie began.

He continued:

Impeaching Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense for High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Resolved that Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, also referred to as Secretary of War by the administration, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate. Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America against Peter Brian Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Axios Congress reporter Andrew Solender noted on X the vote will need to take place by Thursday “unless GOP leadership cancels the week early.”

The articles of impeachment include ignoring laws that minimize civilian deaths, extrajudicial killings, suppressing free speech, kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader, and unlawful war in Yemen.

In part, Massie accused Hegseth of having replaced “maritime law enforcement with unauthorized lethal military targeting of suspected drug traffickers, resulting in at least 221 deaths” and of “directing Operation ABSOLUTE RESOLVE to seize Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores in Venezuela without constitutional or legal authority.”

In May, Massie lost his bid for reelection to the President Donald Trump-endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. The race went down as the most expensive primary House race on record. Massie previously spoke out against Trump for his relationship with convicted child predator Jeffrey Epstein.

During the primary battle, Hegseth traveled to Kentucky to endorse Gallrein and speak out against Massie.

“At some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing,” said Hegseth at the time. “At some point, constant obstruction is not leadership. It’s just commentary. It’s obstruction. President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point.”

The Constitution dictates that the grounds for impeachment include “treason, bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” It’s worth noting “the meaning of high Crimes and Misdemeanors is not defined in the Constitution or in statute.”

Watch the above via C-SPAN.

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