Rep. Thomas Massie kept House Republican leaders completely in the dark before filing impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The Kentucky Republican said the secrecy was intentional. Speaking to a CNN reporter, Massie explained his reasoning plainly: “I didn’t give anybody a heads-up, because when they found out I was doing the Epstein discharge petition, they canceled two weeks of Congress. And I think if they found out I was going to do this, they might have canceled even more days.”
Massie took to the House floor and introduced a formal impeachment resolution against Hegseth for high crimes and misdemeanors. He also posted a 34-page document online laying out the specific accusations against the secretary. Massie Hegseth impeachment resolution details charges that range from violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to extrajudicial killings, unlawful war in Yemen, suppression of free speech, and the kidnapping of a foreign head of state.
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Among the most serious allegations, the document accuses Hegseth of “knowingly” carrying out unlawful orders and waging war against Iran without congressional approval. It states that Hegseth “acted in a manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice.”
Massie also charged Hegseth with involvement in the extrajudicial killings of “at least 221 persons aboard seagoing vessels alleged to be smuggling narcotics in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, principally in international waters.” He linked those deaths to President Donald Trump’s drone strikes targeting suspected drug traffickers.
The articles further cite the military operation to apprehend former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which Massie described as “an act of war against a sovereign country executed under the guise of narcotics law enforcement,” arguing it was actually aimed at asserting U.S. control over Venezuela’s oil reserves.
On the free speech charge, Massie pointed to Hegseth’s investigation into remarks made by Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, in which Kelly discussed soldiers disobeying unlawful orders. Massie characterized that investigation as retaliation and intimidation.
Massie declared that Hegseth would remain a “threat to the Constitution” if allowed to stay in office, accusing him of acting in a manner “grossly incompatible with his duties and the rule of law.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back sharply. “Secretary Hegseth is doing a phenomenal job,” Blanche said, adding that the Defense Department operates within legal boundaries with active DOJ involvement. “You called it a ‘war.’ I disagree with that characterization, as does most of Congress,” Blanche said.
Massie’s move comes just days after congressional Democrats named Hegseth as a top impeachment target if they retake the House in November. Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan of New York promised aggressive action. “Hegseth and crew better buckle up and lawyer up because we are coming at them full on,” Ryan said.
Massie himself will not be part of that fight. He lost his Republican primary in May to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein and will leave Congress in January.
