Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) filed articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, accusing him of abusing the power of his office.
The Kentucky Republican filed these articles over the war in Iran, the Trump administration’s arrest of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, strikes on alleged drug boats, and the war in Yemen. Massie also accused the war secretary of ignoring laws to minimize civilian casualties and suppressing free speech.
“By every measurable metric, the Department of War is better under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership than before,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement. “The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first.”
Massie’s filing comes after Hegseth traveled to his district in May and campaigned with his primary opponent, Ed Gallrein, as part of the large push from the Trump administration to unseat Massie, who has frequently been a thorn in the administration’s priorities. The primary, which Gallrein won by about 10 points, was the most expensive House primary on record.
The articles of impeachment against Hegseth are privileged, meaning the House must take them up within two legislative days.
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Here are the eight impeachment charges:
Article I: Charges that Hegseth waged war with Iran with no declaration of war, claiming it was unlawful since it began in February.
Article II: Points to the war powers resolutions that have been passed in both chambers of Congress that directed the removal of U.S. forces from Iran. Both the House and the Senate are expected to vote on another war powers resolution this week.
Article III: Similar to the first two articles, but goes further on the 60-day termination under the 1973 War Powers Resolution and charges Hegseth with blowing past “mandatory statutory deadlines as discretionary.” The war has continued for nearly seven months and has continued to escalate after a fragile ceasefire fell apart.
Article IV: Claims the secretary ignored “laws that minimize civilian casualties.”
Article V: Points to at least 221 deaths caused by “replacing maritime law enforcement with unauthorized lethal military targeting of suspected drug traffickers” after an operation that targeted alleged drug traffickers off the coast of South America earlier this year.
Article VI: Cites the administration’s high-profile feud over free speech after Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) appeared in a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth called the video “seditious” and moved to strip Kelly of his rank and pension, though a court blocked the effort. The Pentagon appealed the block, with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals hearing oral arguments in May.
Article VII: Targets the capture of Maduro “without constitutional or legal authority.” Congressional Democrats and Republicans raised questions over the constitutionality of the raid and the implications around the world in briefings following the operation.
Article VIII: Claims strikes in Yemen also violated war powers reporting requirements, specifically pointing to civilian deaths.
Hailey Bullis contributed to this article.