Democratic Rep. Robin Kelly announced on Wednesday plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, following a deadly shooting involving immigration officers in Minneapolis earlier in the day.
“Secretary Kristi Noem is an incompetent leader, a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of justice, violation of public trust, and self-dealing,” Kelly said in a press release. “It’s one thing to be incompetent and dangerous, but it’s impeachable to break the rule of law. I told my constituents and Chicagoans that I would fight against Secretary Noem’s agenda. This is me fighting back.”
The Illinois congresswoman said she plans to file three impeachment articles against Noem for obstructing Congress by withholding information and funds in violation of federal law, violating public trus, by compromising public safety and violating due process rights, and “self-dealing” by “abusing her office for personal benefit and steering federal dollars to associates.”
Kelly’s plans to file impeachment articles come just hours after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer deployed to Minneapolis shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in her vehicle.
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In multiple eyewitness videos posted to social media from the scene, the victim’s car can be seen driving down a residential street as officers approach. One officer can be heard shouting “get out of the fucking car” while attempting to open the vehicle’s door.
As the driver reverses and begins to turn, another agent appears in front of her vehicle. That agent is seen firing off several shots as the person turns and starts to drive away. The agent who fired the shots remained standing. The car drove less than 500 feet before crashing into a parked vehicle.
The Trump administration said the shooting was an act of self-defense by an agent “fearing for his life,” though Democrats and local officials are calling for an investigation into the shooting and have accused the Department of Homeland Security of running a “propaganda machine.”
“I’ve seen the video,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wrote in response to a social media post from DHS. “Don’t believe this propaganda machine.”
Kelly’s impeachment articles would be the second targeting Noem since she assumed the position last year., A previous attempt at impeachment was introduced last December by another Illinois congresswoman, Delia Ramirez, along with a request for the Judiciary Committee to open an investigation into Noem’s “lawlessness.”
“Secretary Noem has established a clear pattern of lawless behavior, mirrored in the behavior of rank and file members of her leadership team.” Ramirez wrote on Dec. 11. “She disregards the separation of powers, breaks the law, violates the standards of ethical behavior set for those in public office, and misuses resources appropriated by Congress.”
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