White House told Democratic lawmakers on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump and his lawyers would not participate in a congressional impeachment hearing this week, citing a lack of “fundamental fairness”. It was reported by Reuters.
“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.
Cipollone did not rule out participation in further proceedings. But he signaled that Democrats would first have to make major procedural concessions.
As we reported earlier, the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives invited U.S. President Donald Trump to his first impeachment hearing on December 4. Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler published the relevant letter on November 26.
"Basically, the president has a choice: he can take the opportunity to be represented at the impeachment hearings, or he can stop complaining about the process. I hope he decides to participate in the investigation directly or through a lawyer, as other presidents have done to him. "Nadler said.
He reminded Trump that the committee's rules allow him to be present at the hearing, and his lawyer has the right to question witnesses.
