(NewsNation) — Federal judges can be impeached and removed from office, and Elon Musk said Monday “it’s time” for it to occur again.
It follows a Saturday tweet from Musk where he claimed federal judge Paul Engelmayer is a “corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW!”
Engelmayer ruled on Saturday that special government employees and those detailed from outside the department from getting access to Treasury Department systems, including Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
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According to the Federal Judicial Center, the last person to be impeached and removed was G. Thomas Porteous Jr. in 2010.
The House of Representatives impeached Porteous on charges of accepting bribes and making false statements under perjury. He was subsequently convicted by the U.S. Senate.
How can federal judges be impeached?
Federal judges can be impeached and removed from office in two ways: The House of Representatives impeaches them and the Senate convicts them, resulting in removal from office.
Judges are not always found guilty and as such can be acquitted like Associate Justice Samuel Chase in 1805. The House of Representatives filed articles of impeachment against Chase, but the Senate ultimately acquitted him.
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Federal judge impeachment process
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the House can impeach a federal judge after receiving a majority vote. However, removal from office usually requires a two-thirds majority from the Senate.
