White House will not take part in Trump’s impeachment hearing

AIDES SAY THEY WILL NOT TAKE PART IN TRUMP IMPEACHMENT HEARING

The White House told Democratic lawmakers on Sunday that US President Donald Trump and his lawyers would not participate in a congressional impeachment hearing this week, citing a lack of “fundamental fairness.”

Trump’s aides responded defiantly to the first of two crucial deadlines he faces in Congress this week as Democrats prepare to shift the focus of their impeachment inquiry from fact-finding to the consideration of possible charges of misconduct over his dealings with Ukraine.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, tasked with considering charges known as articles of impeachment, had given Trump until 6pm (2300 GMT) on Sunday to say whether he would dispatch a lawyer to take part in the judiciary panel’s proceedings tomorrow.

Further proceedings

“We cannot fairly be expected to participate in a hearing while the witnesses are yet to be named and while it remains unclear whether the Judiciary Committee will afford the President a fair process through additional hearings,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, according to a copy of a letter seen by Reuters.

Cipollone — while citing a “complete lack of due process and fundamental fairness afforded the president” in the impeachment process — did not rule out participation in further proceedings.

But he signalled that Democrats would first have to make major procedural concessions.

Nadler has given the White House a Friday deadline to say whether Trump will mount a defence in broader impeachment proceedings.

Democratic US Representative Don Beyer said on Twitter in response to the White House letter: “Not one process complaint made by the President and his Republican allies in Congress so far has turned out to be genuine.” Congressional investigators have been looking into whether Trump abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to launch investigations of former Democratic Vice-President Joe Biden, who is running to unseat him in the 2020 election.