Impeachment is the act of a legislative body of charging a member of government, usually an executive or member of the judiciary, with a crime or misconduct in office. The act of impeachment is only an accusation, not a judgment of guilt or a removal from office.
In the United States, an impeachment requires a simple majority in the House of Representatives. For the impeached official to be removed from office, the Senate must hold trial and the official must be found guilty by two-thirds of the members. The most prominent official to be impeached in recent years was President Bill Clinton, who was impeached in December 1998. He was acquitted by the Senate, however, less than two months later.