The following is a list efforts which, unsuccessfully, sought to impeach United States federal officials.
While none of these efforts resulted in a formal impeachment, some of them led to the resignation of the individuals targeted.
Presidents
Many presidents have faced unsuccessful attempts at impeachment.
Vice presidents
Several vice presidents have faced unsuccessful attempts at impeachment.
Cabinet members There have been two cabinet members, William W. Belknap and Alejandro Mayorkas, impeached by the United States House of Representatives. Neither were convicted in their impeachment trial, Other attempts to impeach cabinet members have been largely unsuccessful.
Attorneys General While impeachment proceedings against cabinet members is an exceedingly rare event, the Office of the Attorney General has faced the most impeachment attempts. During the first fifth of the 21st century, no less than three Attorneys General have been subjected to the process.
Harry M. Daugherty In 1922, the House Judiciary Committee held hearings on whether to impeach Attorney General Harry Daugherty. Despite evidence of wrongdoing, impeachment articles weren't reported to the full House.
However it was his alleged knowledge of a kickback scam involving bootleggers (operated by his chief aide Jess Smith) that led to his eventual resignation on March 28, 1924. As the subject of a U.S. Senate investigation begun the year before, spearheaded under the direction of Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana, Daugherty, was eventually found not guilty in the investigation.
Griffin Bell On February 6, 1978, a resolution, H. Res. 1002, was introduced authorizing the Judiciary Committee to investigate Attorney General Griffin Bell. The resolution was referred to the Rules Committee.124 Cong. Rec. 2428 (1978) A week later, Rep Philip Crane, introduced H. Res. 1025. It was also referred to the Rules Committee.124 Cong. Rec. 3486 (1978)
Alberto Gonzales
On July 7, 2007, Rep. Jay Inslee and 31 co-sponsors introduced H. Res. 589, which sought impeachment hearings by the Judiciary Committee against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.Time (magazine) It was referred to the Rules Committee instead. While there were no hearings, pressure mounted, and Gonzales resigned less than two months later.
Eric Holder On November 7, 2013, Rep. Ted Yoho announced that he and some colleagues were going to introduce a resolution impeaching Attorney General Holder. On Nov. 12, it was leaked to the press that Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) and co-sponsors Reps. Phil Roe (R-TN), Ted Yoho (R-FL), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX) and Roger Williams (R-TX). had written a detailed set of articles which were introduced as H.Res 411 The resolution was referred to the Judiciary Committee, and no further action was taken.
William Barr On June 30, 2020, Tennessee Democratic Representative Steve Cohen and 35 cosponsors introduced a resolution (H.Res.1032) on the House floor calling for the impeachment of Attorney General William Barr for many instances of alleged malfeasance. Hearings on the topic on a more general fashion had already taken place.
Earlier in the month, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler called the effort a waste of time, citing the impeachment of President Trump earlier in the year, which failed to remove him (see above). However, he changed his mind later.
In-camera hearings were due to begin in July 2020, and Barr did indeed testify before the House Judiciary Committee on July 28. After Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, died on September 18, 2020, several Democratic congressmembers talked about reviving proceedings as a tactic to prevent Trump from nominating a conservative successor to replace the liberal Ginsburg, slowing down the Senate's confirmation process.
Ultimately, Barr was not impeached.
Merrick Garland On October 22, 2021, Pennsylvania Republican Representative Scott Perry introduced a resolution, (H.Res.743), to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland for "high crimes and misdemeanors". The resolution was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary the same day it was introduced, and never moved past that committee.
On August 12, 2022, following calls from multiple Republican lawmakers to impeach Attorney General Garland, Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced that she planned to impeach Garland as retaliation for Garland approving a search of Mar-A-Lago, the home of former President Donald Trump, to retrieve documents Trump had taken from the White House and stored there. Garland alleged that by doing so, and then withholding the documents from previous requests for their return, Trump had acted illegally. Greene's justification for the impeachment was that the search was "a blatant attempt to persecute a political opponent".
In the end, he was not impeached.
Other Cabinet secretaries
Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon In January 1932, Rep. Wright Patman and others introduced articles of impeachment against Andrew Mellon, with hearings before the House Judiciary Committee at the end of that month. After the hearings were over, but before the scheduled vote on whether to report the articles to the full House, Mellon accepted an appointment to the post of Ambassador to the Court of St. James, and resigned, thus rendering further action on the issue moot.
Secretary of the Treasury William Woodin, Eugene Meyer, Andrew Mellon and Federal Reserve Board On May 23, 1933 Rep. Louis Thomas McFadden introduced articles of impeachment against Chair of the Federal Reserve Eugene Meyer, Secretary of Treasury William Woodin, two former Treasury Secretaries (Andrew Mellon and Ogden L. Mills); J. F. T. O'Connor (Comptroller of Currency); John W. Pole (former Comptroller of Currency); four members and three former members of the Federal Reserve Board; twelve Federal Reserve Agents; and one former Federal Reserve Agent. There was a hearing on the subject before the House Judiciary committee, but nothing became of it.
Frances Perkins – Labor Secretary, James Houghteling– Immigration and Naturalization Commissioner and Gerard Reilly– Solicitor of the Department of Labor
On January 24, 1939, Rep. J. Parnell Thomas offered an impeachment resolution against the above federal officials.84 Cong. Rec. 702 (1939) The resolution was referred to the Judiciary Committee,84 Cong. Rec. 711 (1939) where it died a quiet death.
Congressional conservatives were angered with Secretary Francis Perkins when she had refused to deport Harry Bridges, the head of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Bridges, an Australian longshoreman who came to America in 1920, was accused of being a Communist.
Donald Rumsfeld – Secretary of Defense of the United States On June 20, 2004, angered by the War in Iraq, Rep. Charles Rangel and four co-sponsors introduced H.Res 629 which sought impeachment hearings by the Judiciary Committee against Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. It was referred to the HJC's subcommittee on the Constitution, where it failed and did not move onto the committee as a whole.
Alejandro Mayorkas - Secretary of Homeland Security
On January 3, 2024, the United States House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The inquiry was conducted by the House's Homeland Security committee. On February 6, 2024, a motion to proceed with impeachment proceedings failed to pass, on a 216–214 vote.
Later on February 13, 2024, the United States House of Representatives successfully impeached Mayorkas in a 214-213 vote. The Democrat-controlled Senate dismissed the charges without a trial, something that has never happened with any impeachment before.
Federal Reserve Board
Three attempts to remove all or part of the Federal Reserve Board have failed.
Lindbergh's attempt On February 12, 1917, Rep Charles August Lindbergh, father of aviator Charles Lindbergh, offered articles of impeachment against five members of the Federal Reserve Board. The articles were referred to the Judiciary Committee for investigation.54 Cong. Rec. 3126 (1917) On March 3, the Judiciary Committee submitted its report, H.R. Rep. 64-1628, finding insufficient evidence to support impeachment.Congressional Record 1917 pg 4953.
McFadden's attempt Rep. Louis Thomas McFadden's attempt to impeach numerous officials in May 1933 is detailed above.
Gonzalez's attempt On March 7, 1985, Rep. Henry Gonzalez introduced an impeachment resolution, H.R. Res. 101, against Fed Chairman Paul Volcker and ten other members of the Federal Open Market Committee and H.R. Res. 102, against Volcker alone. The resolution was referred to the Judiciary Committee.,131 Cong. Rec. 5047 (1985) where it was never heard of again. However, not to be deterred, Gonzalez introduced the bill in each of the next two congresses, and they met the same fate.
Other officials Henry A. Smythe – Collector, Port of New York
On March 22, 1867, three resolutions were introduced calling for various types of action against the allegedly corrupt Henry A. Smythe. Rep. Hulburd introduced a resolution calling for the President to remove Smythe from office.Cong. Globe, 40th Cong., 1st Sess. 282 (1867) Mr. Stevens offered an impeachment resolution against Smythe and called upon the Committee on Public Expenditures to draft articles of impeachment. Finally, Rep.Samuel Shellabarger of Ohio introduced a resolution requesting the Committee on Public Expenditures investigate Smythe's conduct.Cong. Globe, 40th Cong., 1st Sess. 284 (1867)
The next day, the House resumed debate over these three resolutions. A different resolution was ultimately adopted which did not call for Smythe's impeachment, but rather his immediate removal from office by the President. A copy of the resolution was sent to President Andrew Johnson,Cong. Globe, 40th Cong., 1st Sess. 289–290 (1867) who ignored it. Smythe left office in 1869 with the change in administration.
Charles Francis Adams, Ambassador to the Court of St. James, and William E. West, American Consul at Dublin
On December 2, 1867, Rep. William E. Robinson of New York introduced a resolution to investigate Charles Francis Adams, Sr. and William E. West, and why they hadn't tried to get some American citizens out of jail there.Cong. Globe, 40th Cong., 2nd Sess. 3 (1867). The resolution was then referred to the Foreign Relations Committee,Cong. Globe, 40th Cong., 2nd Sess. 3–8 (1867). where it died.
Oliver B. Bradford, consular clerk of the United States, assigned to Shanghai, China, and postal agent of the United States there
In a resolution introduced by Rep. William M. Springer, of Illinois, Bradford was accused of fraud, embezzlement and numerous other charges in relation to the building of a Cross China railroad. While all agreed it was criminal, it wasn't agreed whether or not the office was high enough to warrant impeachment.
George F. Seward, Minister plenipotentiary to China
On March 3, 1879, as part of the regular order of business was the report of the Committee on Expenditures in the State Department, Rep Springer proposed articles of impeachment against George F. Seward for bribery and theft. The articles were sent to the Judiciary committee, where they died.
Lot Wright, United States marshal
On December 2, 1884 Rep. John F. Follett, of Ohio introduced a point of privilege demanding that Wright be impeached for using armed deputies to fix an election. The proposition was held to be out of order.
Clarence Chase – Collector of Customs, Port of El Paso, Texas