投票弹劾安德鲁．詹森 (Andrew Johnson) ：1868年5月16日

国会对总统提出弹劾 (指控总统犯罪或品行不端) 的决定相当严重。但是这在1868年却发生了。那一年的二月，众议院投票决定弹劾安德鲁．詹森总统。整个弹劾案的审判是在最高法院首席法官出席，以及参议员担任陪审团的情况下，于3月30日正式展开。詹森被控违法失职，但是在1868年5月16日时，因为一票之差，美国参议院无法通过这项弹劾案来判决詹森有罪。第二次投票在十天之后举行，弹劾案还是没有通过：因为一票之差，而无法达到三分之二绝对多数的法定规则。詹森到底做了什么，使得他会被国会提起弹劾，甚至可能遭到逮捕呢？


It's no small decision for Congress to impeach (accuse of a crime or misdemeanor) the president, but in 1868 that's exactly what happened. In February, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson. His trial, with the chief justice of the Supreme Court presiding, began on March 30 with the Senate serving as jury. Johnson was accused of having broken the law, but on May 16, 1868, the U.S. Senate failed to convict him by one vote. A second vote taken 10 days later had the same result: one vote short of the two-thirds majority required to convict. What did Johnson do that led to his impeachment and near arrest?

1/3 页