# Will Rahm Emanuel resign or be impeached?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [December 20, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917 "2015-12-20T12:18:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/21 "2015-12-21T07:13:33Z")
> [@Monty](#):
>
> Huh? Impeachment is to remove from office someone who is accused of a crime. Of course it’s political since the legislature decides on impeachment and removal from office; however, that does not mean it’s purely political or has nothing to do with criminal activity.
No, impeachment is a legislative process to remove someone from office who does something the legislature does not like. We’ve gone over this like forty thousand times in GQ.
Articles of impeachment are arbitrary. They are not indictments under any criminal code. The definition of the charges, rules of evidence, and burden of proof are made up by the chamber(s) trying the charges. The punishment is removal from office, not jail, fines, probation, or anything else that would normally be a punishment for a crime. And impeachment does not preclude further criminal prosecution of the offender by the judicial system, if warranted.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/22 "2015-12-21T07:14:54Z")
> [@Xema](#):
>
> He lied under oath - for which he was subsequently disbarred.
In fact Clinton was never convicted of perjury; he was issued with a civil contempt citation, and settled with the Arkansas bar for a five year suspension.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/23 "2015-12-21T07:24:28Z")
> [@friedo](#):
>
> No, impeachment is a legislative process to remove someone from office who does something the legislature does not like.
I don’t know about Illinois specifically, but this isn’t universally true at the state level. Some states have impeachment trials in court rather than in the legislature.
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### Author:  [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/24 "2015-12-21T07:31:39Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#):
>
> Is impeachment even an option under Illinois law?
No it is not. Neither the state legislature nor the city council can impeach the mayor of Chicago. And there is no provision for a recall election.
If you google the subject, you’ll find that a lot of slacktivists are posting internet petitions demanding impeachment. This is part of the reason why these people never accomplish anything.
You’ll also find claims that the legislature couldn’t impeach Governor Blagojevich and that the law had to be changed to enable this. These, too, are absolutely false. The legislature can impeach state executive and judicial officials and has had this power since the constitution was adopted. Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office in 2009. In 2010, a constitutional amendment was put before the voters that would allow a governor (and only a governor) to be recalled by the voters. The amendment had nothing to do with impeachment.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/25 "2015-12-21T07:33:12Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#):
>
> I don’t know about Illinois specifically, but this isn’t universally true at the state level. Some states have impeachment trials in court rather than in the legislature.
Interesting, I didn’t know that.
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### Author:  [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/26 "2015-12-21T07:41:47Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#):
>
> I don’t know about Illinois specifically, but this isn’t universally true at the state level. Some states have impeachment trials in court rather than in the legislature.
> [@](#):
>
> Constitution of the State of Illinois
> ARTICLE IV
> THE LEGISLATURE
> …
> SECTION 14. IMPEACHMENT
> The House of Representatives has the sole power to
> conduct legislative investigations to determine the existence
> of cause for impeachment and, by the vote of a majority of
> the members elected, to impeach Executive and Judicial
> officers. Impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When
> sitting for that purpose, Senators shall be upon oath, or
> affirmation, to do justice according to law. If the Governor
> is tried, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall
> preside. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence
> of two-thirds of the Senators elected. Judgment shall not
> extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to
> hold any public office of this State. An impeached officer,
> whether convicted or acquitted, shall be liable to
> prosecution, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.
Also notice, that there is no mention of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
The House has the sole power to determine if there is a cause for impeachment.
And, again, this does not apply to municipal officials.
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/27 "2015-12-21T13:03:30Z")
Relocated to the Elections forum from IMHO.
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### Author:  [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/28 "2015-12-21T13:43:05Z")
A few years ago Rob Ford, former mayor of Toronto, was caught cavorting with the criminals who supplied him with crack/cocaine when one wanted to sell a cell phone video to the media. He was called to resign by everyone; however, despite being lampooned by every satirist on the planet and being stripped of all his powers by municipal legislators… **he still** went to city hall and collected his pay checks.
Like Ford, I have no doubt that Rahm Emanuel is ‘in it for the long haul.’ He’s already offered up a sacrificial lamb (the Police Chief) and Anita Alvarez is also most likely not going to keep her job. Rahm might fall like Alvarez, but it won’t be by his own hand.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/29 "2015-12-21T14:35:53Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#):
>
> Does anyone know a true Rahm supporter?
> I don’t.
> He was basically appointed to the position and has won without really even trying.
>
> Anyway, he certainly won’t resign.
> I think he has his eye on a bigger prize.
I’m not from Chicago, and I’m not hugely up on their elections, how was he basically appointed to the position?
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### Author:  [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/30 "2015-12-21T15:22:19Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#):
>
> I’m not from Chicago, and I’m not hugely up on their elections, how was he basically appointed to the position?
He wasn’t. He won the mayoral election in 2011.
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/31 "2015-12-21T20:51:20Z")
And re-elected, albeit in one closer than many had expected.
Rahm is symbolic to some progressives: a centrist considered too close to business interests. Thus his winning elections was his being appointed. The last election went into a run-off between him and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia with national progressive interests weighing in trying to make it a referendum on the future of the party.
Chuy lost however and to no small degree because he was unable to get [most Blacks](http://www.wbez.org/news/politics/black-vote-proves-key-chicago-mayoral-race-111844) (or Black political leadership) to support him.
Hence the charge that the video had been suppressed during the election cycle as its political impact might have been significant.
Meanwhile the problems of the Chicago PD, hell of police departments country-wide, do not fall on any individuals alone. Rahm however needs to catalyze the systemic changes needed and to report on progress at regular intervals; he needs to acknowledge the problem exists and work on fixing it.
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### Author:  [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/32 "2015-12-21T21:41:39Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#):
>
> Also notice, that there is no mention of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
> The House has the sole power to determine if there is a cause for impeachment.
>
> And, again, this does not apply to municipal officials.
In all states I’m aware of, municipalities are creations of state law, so, unless there’s something specific in the Illinois Constitution, there’s nothing stopping the Illinois legislature from enacting a law allowing municipal officials to be impeached, put through a recall election or otherwise removed.
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2015, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/33 "2015-12-22T09:04:08Z")
Whenever you think of an elected official resigning or being impeached, particularly a Chicago Democrat, just think of Bill Clinton, and you have your answer.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/34 "2015-12-22T16:57:33Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#):
>
> Anyway, he certainly won’t resign.
> I think he has his eye on a bigger prize.
Can he really be that delusional?!
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/35 "2015-12-22T20:59:49Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Can he really be that delusional?!
Being hated by the far left in Chicago doesn’t doom you in the rest of the state. Still,I doubt he’s looking at the 2018 governor’s race right now.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/36 "2015-12-22T23:39:54Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#):
>
> Will Rahm Emanuel resign or be impeached?
New to Chicago, eh?
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### Author:  [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/37 "2015-12-22T23:50:03Z")
Impeached? By who? There is no law to follow regarding removal of The Mayor of the city of Chicago.
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### Author:  [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/38 "2015-12-23T00:19:01Z")
> [@dropzone](#):
>
> New to Chicago, eh?
Apparently. I really thought it was a bigger deal. It seems quite possible that he was involved in covering up the video.
But oh well, it’s certainly not the first time I’ve been wrong about something.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/39 "2015-12-23T00:51:43Z")
> [@friedo](#):
>
> Impeachment has nothing to do with criminal activity and there is no burden of proof. It is a purely political process, not a judicial one.
Yes, but impeachment usually follows conviction for illegal activity. Recall, on the other hand, usually happens when people are just pissed off about high-handed doings.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-rahm-emanuel-resign-or-be-impeached/740917/40 "2015-12-23T01:11:07Z")
Again, there is no law to follow regarding removal of The Mayor of the city of Chicago. Check out [-\> this site.](https://plus.google.com/107201446087244373996/posts/EKun6YU8Kho)
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