Impeachment of a President

Johnson’s Impeachment (1868) President Johnson obstructed Congressional Reconstruction: He fired military generals appointed by Congress to oversee Southern military zones He violated a new law called the Tenure of Office Act when he tried to fire his Secretary of War who supported Congress’ plan

Radical Republicans used this as an opportunity to impeach the president To impeach is to formally charge an elected official of wrongdoing The House of Representatives voted 126-47 to impeach Johnson

After an 11 week trial, the Senate fell 1 vote short of removing the president from office Johnson argued that removal could only occur due to “high crimes & misdemeanors” but no “crime” had been committed But…Johnson did promise to enforce Reconstruction for the remainder of his term…& he did! 11 week trial.

The Senate trial of Johnson’s impeachment was the hottest ticket in town

19th Century Turning Points in U. S 19th Century Turning Points in U.S. History: 1861-1870: Congress impeaches Andrew Johnson ..\..\My Videos\Congress_Impeaches_Andrew_Johnson.wmv

The Presidency of Richard Nixon Nixon was a popular president by the end of his 1st term His domestic policies reduced gov’t spending & revitalized middle-class, conservative, & Southern voters His foreign policies led to the end of an unpopular war in Vietnam & eased tensions with America’s two biggest Cold War rivals In 1972, Nixon won one of the biggest landslide victories in presidential history But after Nixon’s re-election in 1972, the Watergate scandal broke; President Nixon resigned in 1974 rather than face impeachment

Effects of Watergate The Watergate scandal changed America: The scandal eroded public trust in their political leaders; Added to the distrust created by the Vietnam War Revealed the importance of the media in serving as a “watchdog” of the government Congress assumed more leadership Uncertainty whether prosecutors would charge Nixon with crimes ..\..\My Videos\Nixon_Resigns_in_Watergate_Scandal.asf

Scandals & Impeachment While president, Clinton faced numerous scandals While still governor of Arkansas, Clinton was connected to an improper land deal (Whitewater scandal) Clinton was accused of having sexual affairs, including one with White House intern Monica Lewinsky CLINTON IMPEACHED President Clinton was accused of improperly using money from a land deal with the Whitewater Development Company to fund his 1984 gubernatorial reelection campaign. In addition, Clinton allegedly had lied under oath about having an improper relationship with a young White House intern. In 1998, Clinton admitted that he had had an improper relationship with the young woman, but he denied lying about the incident under oath or attempting to obstruct the investigation. In December 1998, the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment, charging the president with perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton became only the second president—and the first in 130 years—to face a trial in the Senate. At the trial a month later, the Senate fell short of the 67 votes—a two-thirds majority—required to convict him. Clinton remained in office and apologized for his actions.

Scandals & Impeachment While president, Clinton faced numerous scandals When Clinton lied under oath about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, Republicans in Congress voted to impeach him CLINTON IMPEACHED President Clinton was accused of improperly using money from a land deal with the Whitewater Development Company to fund his 1984 gubernatorial reelection campaign. In addition, Clinton allegedly had lied under oath about having an improper relationship with a young White House intern. In 1998, Clinton admitted that he had had an improper relationship with the young woman, but he denied lying about the incident under oath or attempting to obstruct the investigation. In December 1998, the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment, charging the president with perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton became only the second president—and the first in 130 years—to face a trial in the Senate. At the trial a month later, the Senate fell short of the 67 votes—a two-thirds majority—required to convict him. Clinton remained in office and apologized for his actions.

Clinton became only the 2nd president to be impeached, but he was not removed from office ..\..\My Videos\A_Tale_of_Two_Scandals__Clinton_Administration.wmv