Impeachments of Federal Officials

Updated June 18, 2019 | Infoplease Staff

The procedure for the impeachment of federal officials is detailed in Article I, Section 3, of the Constitution. The Senate has sat as a court of impeachment in the following cases:

• William Blount, senator from Tennessee; charges dismissed for want of jurisdiction, Jan. 14, 1799.
• John Pickering, judge of the U.S. District Court for New Hampshire; removed from office March 12, 1804.
• Samuel Chase, associate justice of the Supreme Court; acquitted March 1, 1805.
• James H. Peck, judge of the U.S. District Court for Missouri; acquitted Jan. 31, 1831.
• West H. Humphreys, judge of the U.S. District Court for the middle, eastern, and western districts of Tennessee; removed from office June 26, 1862.
• Andrew Johnson, president of the United States; acquitted May 26, 1868.
• William W. Belknap, secretary of war; acquitted Aug. 1, 1876.
• Charles Swayne, judge of the U.S. District Court for the northern district of Florida; acquitted Feb. 27, 1905.
• Robert W. Archbald, associate judge, U.S. Commerce Court; removed Jan. 13, 1913.
• George W. English, judge of the U.S. District Court for eastern district of Illinois; resigned Nov. 4, 1926; proceedings dismissed.
• Harold Louderback, judge of the U.S. District Court for the northern district of California; acquitted May 24, 1933.
• Halsted L. Ritter, judge of the U.S. District Court for the southern district of Florida; removed from office April 17, 1936.
• Harry E. Claiborne, judge of the U.S. District Court for the district of Nevada; removed from office Oct. 9, 1986.
• Alcee L. Hastings, judge of the U.S. District Court for the southern district of Florida; removed from office Oct. 20, 1989.
• Walter L. Nixon, judge of the Southern District Court for Mississippi; removed from office Nov. 3, 1989.
• William J. Clinton, president of the United States; acquitted Feb. 12, 1999.
• G. Thomas Porteous Jr., judge of the U.S. District Court in Louisiana removed from office Dec. 9, 2010.