Which entity has the sole power to impeach federal officials?

The entity that has the sole power to impeach federal officials is the House of Representatives. This is established in the U.S. Constitution, specifically in Article I, Section 2, which designates the House as the body responsible for initiating impeachment proceedings.

Impeachment is the process by which a federal official, including the President, can be charged with misconduct. The House has the authority to bring charges, which is akin to an indictment, requiring a simple majority vote. Once the House votes for impeachment, the process moves to the Senate, which conducts a trial and ultimately determines whether to convict and remove the official from office.

This division of power ensures that the impeachment process is handled first by the elected representatives of the people, thus reflecting democratic accountability. The involvement of the Senate is critical in the later stages, but it is the House that has the exclusive right to initiate impeachment. This framework helps maintain a balance of power within the federal government, as it prevents any single entity from having unilateral control over the impeachment process.