Linda McMahon has become the first U.S. Secretary of Education to face impeachment articles after Democratic lawmakers accused her of trying to dismantle the Department of Education.

Representative Suzanne Bonamici filed three articles of impeachment on Thursday, claiming McMahon deliberately weakened the department by cutting staff, reducing funding, and shifting key responsibilities to other federal agencies.

McMahon dismissed the move as political, saying Democrats believe "working to improve student outcomes and reduce the federal bureaucracy" is somehow an impeachable offense.

The impeachment articles accuse McMahon of:

• Refusing to follow federal law by moving responsibilities, including special education and civil rights oversight, to other departments.
• Misleading Congress during her confirmation hearing by promising to follow laws governing education funding.
• Breaching the public trust by delaying funding for education programs, including migrant education and afterschool services.

The filing follows a report from the department's Inspector General, which found the agency has lost around 40% of its workforce while billions of dollars in grants and contracts have been cancelled. McMahon has since begun advertising new positions within the department.

While several Democrats have introduced impeachment articles against members of President Donald Trump's cabinet, such efforts have rarely succeeded. Republican Representative Tim Walberg dismissed the latest move as "political theater," arguing McMahon is carrying out the reforms voters elected Trump to implement.

Education experts say the effort is largely symbolic and is unlikely to advance, but supporters believe it draws attention to major changes taking place within the Department of Education.