White House snubs impeachment hearings

The White House will not participate in hearings that will consider passing ­impeachment articles against ­Donald Trump.

The White House has confirmed it will not participate in congressional hearings this week that will consider passing ­impeachment articles against ­Donald Trump.

“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 in a letter to Jerry ­Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the committee in the House of Representatives. “Accordingly, under the current circumstances, we do not intend to participate in your Wednesday hearing.’’

Mr Trump faces claims in the house investigation that he illegally sought help from Ukraine to obtain dirt on his political rivals, including possible 2020 challenger Joe Biden.

The committee will begin meeting on Wednesday (US time) to ­determine whether the evidence compiled in the investigative phase of the process meets the constitutional impeachment standard of “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours”. The committee is expected to consider at least four counts, or ­articles of impeachment, including abuse of power, bribery, contempt of congress and obstruction of justice.

Mr Cipollone did not rule out White House participation in all of the hearings, instead requesting further details from Mr Nadler on how the inquiry will be conducted and saying he will give him an ­answer by next Friday.

“It is too late to cure the profound procedural deficiencies that have tainted this entire inquiry,” Mr Cipollone wrote. “Nevertheless, if you are serious about conducting a fair process going forward, and in order to protect the rights and privileges of the President, we may consider participating in ­future judiciary committee proceedings if you afford the administration the ability to do so meaningfully.’’

The inquiry is likely to be a quick one, with Democrats reportedly eager to have the entire house vote on impeachment before the end of the year.

They are confident that they have strong evidence that the President committed impeachable offences. If the articles of impeachment are passed by the Democratic-controlled house as expected, Mr Trump would go on trial in January in the Senate for ­removal from office. Given Republican control of that chamber and the high hurdle of a two-thirds ­majority needed to convict, the President would likely be cleared.

AFP