It didn’t take long for impeachment discussions to begin. Now everyone is on edge.
Because impeachment news out of Congress has the White House on high alert.
House Republican Moves to Impeach Federal Judge Over Treasury Payment System Ruling
On Wednesday, Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) introduced articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, a federal judge in New York, following his recent ruling that temporarily blocked Trump administration officials, including the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), from accessing a crucial Treasury Department payment system.
Engelmayer, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, is accused in the articles of impeachment of high crimes and misdemeanors. The judge’s order had favored a coalition of 19 Democrat state attorneys general who sued to challenge DOGE’s ability to access the system, which reportedly oversees trillions of dollars in payments annually.
Crane took to X to announce his move, receiving a succinct response from presidential adviser Elon Musk, who has been leading DOGE’s mission to curb government waste. Musk simply replied, “Good.” Crane followed up with his own statement: “If these activist judges want to be politicians, they should resign and run for office.”
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 19, 2025
The resolution, now available online, contains two articles of impeachment.
The first claims Engelmayer “engaged in judicial misconduct” by halting Trump’s executive order establishing DOGE on “purely political grounds, demonstrating clear bias and prejudice against the President and the 74,000,000 Americans who voted for him.” It further asserts that the judge “acted outside the bounds of judicial propriety” by issuing a late-night ruling, which, according to the resolution, may have been intended to influence case outcomes in favor of certain parties.
The second article alleges that Engelmayer “has abused his judicial office by using his authority to further personal or political interests, contrary to the constitutional responsibility to apply the law impartially.”
It accuses the judge of handling the case in a manner that suggests favoritism or undue influence, thereby “undermining the fundamental principles of justice.”
Historically, judges have faced impeachment proceedings in the United States, some of which have led to removal from office. However, it remains unclear whether Crane’s impeachment push will gain traction in the GOP-led House.
Crane’s decision to draft the articles came shortly after Engelmayer issued the temporary restraining order. A second federal judge later upheld the restriction while evaluating a preliminary injunction.
Expressing his frustration over the matter, Crane stated on X, “Partisan judges abusing their positions is a threat to democracy. The left has done ‘irreparable harm’ to this country. President Trump and his team at @DOGE are trying to fix it.”
🧵
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) February 11, 2025
I’m drafting articles of impeachment for US District Judge Paul Engelmayer.
Partisan judges abusing their positions is a threat to democracy.
The left has done “irreparable harm” to this country. President Trump and his team at @DOGE are trying to fix it.
In a follow-up post, he further criticized the judge’s decision:
“This is obviously judicial overreach. Judge Engelmayer is attempting to stop White House employees from accessing the very systems they oversee. Where in the Constitution does it say a President and his team cannot root out obvious waste, fraud, and abuse?”
This is obviously judicial overreach.
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) February 11, 2025
Judge Engelmayer is attempting to stop White House employees from accessing the very systems they oversee.
Where in the constitution does it say a President and his team cannot root out obvious waste, fraud and abuse?
As the situation unfolds, all eyes will be on whether House leadership moves forward with the impeachment process or if the effort stalls amid political division.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
