WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Democrats filed six articles of impeachment against Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth on April 15, 2026, accusing him of committing "high crimes and misdemeanors." Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona led the seven-page House resolution.

The six articles allege unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of U.S. service members; violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians; negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information; obstruction of congressional oversight; abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces; and conduct bringing disrepute upon the United States and its armed forces.

The articles reference an attack on Iran without congressional authorization and cite the Feb. 28 bombing of a girls' school in Iran that killed 168 people as an example of civilian casualties. A preliminary U.S. assessment concluded that the U.S. was likely responsible for the bombing but did not intentionally target the school and may have hit it in error. The articles also allege that Hegseth made efforts to withhold material facts relating to civilian casualties and operational conduct in Iran and Venezuela.

The resolution cites Hegseth's comments about giving "no quarter, no mercy for our enemies" as evidence of conduct raising concerns of violations of the Geneva Conventions. The articles also refer to deadly strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, where the military has repeatedly referred to individuals on the vessels as "narco-terrorists."

The resolution accuses Hegseth of compromising national security through "careless and improper conduct" by sharing classified information on the messaging application Signal in 2025. Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal group chat about a planned airstrike on Houthi fighters in Yemen that included Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The resolution argues that Hegseth demonstrated gross negligence by sharing details of U.S. military operations in Yemen in the private group chat.

Additional articles accuse Hegseth of attempting to punish Sen. Mark Kelly for reminding service members that they can refuse illegal orders and of forcing transgender service members from the military. The resolution asserts that Hegseth demonstrated a willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office, and acted in a manner incompatible with the rule of law.

"He committed a war crime in Iran with the attack on a school that killed over 160 children. So not only do we need to end this war, but we need to hold accountable and prosecute anyone in the US administration who may have committed war crimes," Ansari said. "So I have no doubt that if this absolute clown – this former Fox News, not even a real anchor – continues in his position, there will be more, and we will get more support and I urge my colleagues to join me. He is a national security risk to the United States," she added.

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson dismissed the filing. "Just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents' objectives in Iran," Wilson said. "This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War," he added. Wilson also said, "Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and project peace through strength."

The articles are unlikely to pass Congress given the Republican majority in the House and Senate. Republicans hold majorities in both chambers.