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From: sasw@bnl.UUCP (Steven Akiba Swernofsky)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.legal
Subject: Re: A question about impeachment
Message-ID: <256@bnl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 24-Nov-83 00:41:09 EST
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Posted: Thu Nov 24 00:41:09 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Nov-83 06:42:21 EST
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Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory
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Gerald Ford, when he was in the Congress, claimed that "anything the
House and Senate could agree on" would be legitimate grounds for
impeachment.  Of course, when he became President, he had a somewhat
different view. . . .

The constitution requires that the President be charged with "High
Crimes and Misdemeanors."  It is not completely clear if this requires
an indictable offense, or extreme abuse of office, or both or neither.
It is generally agreed that merely unpopular acts are not impeachable,
though.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee reported out three articles of
impeachment against Richard Nixon.  They were
    1.  obstruction of justice in the watergate investigation;
    2.  harrassment of private citizens with the IRS and FBI; and
    3.  failure to obey the House's investigatory subpoenas.
These should serve as examples if nothing else.

-- Steve