Impeachment Articles Introduced Against Army Secretary
On Wednesday, House Democrats formally introduced articles of impeachment against Army Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming that members of the Trump administration have misused their powers and committed war crimes.
Rep. Yasamin Ansari, a Democrat from Arizona, along with 12 others, filed six articles of impeachment against Hegseth. In her statement, Ansari contended, “Pete Hegseth has violated his oath to the Constitution, jeopardized the U.S. military by disclosing classified information, abused his power, and engaged in unlawful military actions, including attacks on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran.”
She emphasized that Hegseth’s behavior fits the definition of felonies and misdemeanors, warranting immediate removal from office by Congress.
The first article alleges that Hegseth authorized a “unauthorized war against Iran” and recklessly endangered U.S. military personnel by launching attacks without proper congressional approval. It accuses him of approving operations that posed extreme risks to American soldiers.
The second article charges him with violating laws of armed conflict by failing to prevent operations that resulted in significant civilian casualties, specifically referencing the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran and a “double tap” attack on a suspected drug trafficker.
The third article claims negligent handling of classified military information, citing an incident where Hegseth and other officials mistakenly included a prominent magazine editor in an unauthorized chat discussing military attacks in Yemen.
The other three articles cover additional allegations, including obstruction of Congress, abuse of power, and politicization of the military, accusing Hegseth of bringing disrepute to the United States and its military.
Pentagon spokesman Kingsley Wilson dismissed the impeachment efforts, calling them “simply a farce” initiated by Democrats. He suggested that it was a distraction from the Department of the Army’s achievements in Iran, where he claimed Secretary Hegseth continued to work towards protecting the homeland and promoting peace through decisive action.
The resolution had the support of other notable Democrats, including Sarah McBride from Delaware and Lauren Underwood from Illinois, among others.
