Rep. Thomas Massie has drafted articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which he plans to reintroduce in the House of Representatives this week.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has released drafted articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
He released the 34-page draft Monday on X, but they have not been formally introduced yet. TAP HERE TO READ THE FULL DRAFT.
“I’ve seen some of my colleagues say Hegseth has been effective and they agree with the war, so they’ll vote not to impeach. That’s not the question though. The question is whether he committed impeachable acts, and the answer is yes, eight times,” Massie said on X.
Massie has been pushing for impeachment proceedings as soon as this week.
When asked about the resolution, Hegseth has said, “We’re not worried about that,” CBS reports. He’s preparing to address the draft Tuesday in a news conference at the Pentagon.
President Trump has also been supportive, telling 60 Minutes on Sunday he still has confidence in Hegseth.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he expects House Democrats to provide “incredibly strong” support for Massie’s effort.
More on the allegations
Massie accuses Hegseth of abusing his power, violating federal law and improperly directing U.S. military operations overseas.
The allegations largely center around the Trump administration’s military operations in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen, as well as Hegseth’s handling of civilian casualties and treatment of a U.S. senator.
One of the proposed articles accuses Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by directing military operations in Iran without congressional authorization.
The draft also alleges that Hegseth continued the operations after Congress directed the withdrawal of U.S. forces and after the law’s 60-day deadline for unauthorized military action in Iran had passed.
Other articles in the draft accuse Hegseth of authorizing military strikes against boats suspected of trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
It alleges at least 243 people were killed in those operations, including shipwrecked survivors who were not rescued and abandoned at sea.
Additional allegations include Hegseth allegedly retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly for publicly telling the military they could refuse illegal orders, directing the military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and overseeing military operations in Yemen that resulted in civilian deaths.
The proposed articles allege that Hegseth’s actions violated the Constitution and federal law.
They call for his impeachment, removal from office and disqualification from holding federal office in the future.
The U.S. House of Representatives reconvened at noon Monday after being out of session since the beginning of October.
