Impeachment Basics: Part II

In part II, I share the text of the Constitution that concerns impeachment. I explain a little and show the parts that are confusing and require more context and other sources to understand.

Cover of explainer comic says, “Impeachment Basics: Straight from the Source by Maddy Buck.” The illustration is of a U.S. Constitution parchment paper with arms and legs saying, “What I say is very important. And I don’t take questions.”

This page of the explainer comic quotes Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution. What does Article II, Section 4 means? The text says, “Translation: This tells us who can be impeached. Who are “All civil Officers” is hazy on the edges. Based o precedent, it does include Federal judges and probably Cabinet-level executive officials and probably not members of Congress.” At the top is an illustration of some officials and some judges behind a bench.

This page quotes Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution. What does this provision mean? The text says, “Translation: These are the grounds/reasons someone can be impeached. To understand potential meanings of ‘high Crimes and Misdemeanors requires looking at past impeachments and other sources.”

This page quotes Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution. What does this provision mean? The text says, “Translation: Only the House can impeach. Remember, the House’s impeachment does not mean removal from office.” The illustration above shoes the House holding a piece of paper that shows itself pointing a finger at an official.

This page also quotes Article I, Section 2, Clause 5. It says, “Note: This doesn’t describe the details of how the House will do this. That’s where House rules, precedent, and politics come in.”

This page quotes Article I, Section 3, Clause 6 of the U.S. Constitution. It includes an illustration of the Senate putting someone on trial for impeachment.

This page quotes Article I, Section 3, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution. What does this provision mean? The text says, “Translation: A conviction of impeachment does not itself trigger any other legal penalty. Once out of office, the individual could be sued or criminally charged for the conduct that led to the impeachment and removal.” The illustration shows the Senate kicking an official out which does not equal that person behind bars.

This page also quotes Article I, Section 3, Clause 7 of the U.S. Constitution. It then says, “Note: In past impeachment convictions (for federal judges), the Senate has voted separately on whether the individual should also be barred from holding public office in the future.

This page quotes Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. What does this provision mean? The text says, “Translation: A President cannot pardon impeachment convictions. But ‘in cases of impeachment’ is a bit unclear. Could the President pardon someone in a way that undermines an impeachment proceeding? The illustration shows Congress as a whole kicking out an official. On top of it are the words “No Pardons.”

The text on this page of the explainer comic says, “It’s important to start with the primary source: the Constitution. But when you do, you see the spots where things aren’t crystal clear. For more clarity, you should look to other writings, past impeachments, and Senate and House rules. The goal should be to interpret correctly. But even if we gain clarity from other sources, politics is still a part of this rarely used process and can influence the interpretation of contentious issues.” Th illustration shows the U.S. Constitution character with arms and legs, surrounded by books labeled as “Precedent, History, Other” and by more papers with arms and legs labeled as “the Federalist Papers.”