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While public discussions around congressional impeachment usually center on a sitting president, the constitutional mechanism extends to a broader array of federal leadership.
The same provision that allows Congress to impeach a president — Article II, Section 4 — also gives it the authority to impeach and remove federal officials, including Cabinet secretaries:
“The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Cabinet secretaries are included in the part about “all civil Officers of the United States.”
There's no strict definition of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” and it isn't necessarily akin to violation of a criminal statute or court conviction. Historically, for presidents and other officials, impeachment has been used to address abuses of official power and breaches of public trust.
Cases originate in the House of Representatives, with the introduction of a resolution or a committee investigating allegations. The House investigates alleged misconduct and decides whether to formally charge an official through articles of impeachment.
If that happens, and a simple majority of the House votes to impeach, then the Senate holds a trial.
