Impeachment is the process of a legislative body formally pressing charges against a government official. According to the United States Constitution, government officials can be impeached for “treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

In the United States, in order for the impeachment process to begin, a member of the House of Representatives must first request impeachment proceedings. These proceedings then fall to a House committee, most often the House Judiciary Committee, which decides by popular vote whether grounds for impeachment exist.

If grounds are found, then the committee will clearly outline whatever misconduct was committed in one or more articles of impeachment. These articles are then put before the House where a simple vote will take place.

If the House votes to impeach, then the charges will proceed before the Senate.

Once the articles of impeachment reach the Senate, a formal trial begins where Senators can call witnesses and perform cross examinations. To formally convict an impeached government official, the Senate must reach a two-thirds vote. If convicted, the government official is removed from office.

Although the Senate cannot convict a government official of criminal charges, once removed from office criminal prosecution can begin if necessary.

As of September 4, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi requested for the impeachment process to begin against President Donald Trump on accounts of a leaked controversial transcript detailing communication between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine.

Six House committees have taken on impeachment inquiries and will decide if there are clear grounds for impeachment.

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton are the only U.S. presidents to have been impeached; however, the Senate failed to reach a two-thirds vote to remove either president from office. Impeachment inquires began against President Nixon, but he resigned from office before a vote on the articles of impeachment could take place in the House.

If the House committees find there are grounds for impeachment against President Trump, then the House will hold a vote deciding whether or not the articles will be presented before the Senate.