In a letter addressed to U.S. House of Representatives committee chair Jerrold Nadler on Friday, President Donald Trump’s lawyer confirmed the White House would not participate in next week’s impeachment inquiry proceedings.
In the letter, Pat Cipollone, counsel to the president, writes that the impeachment inquiry is “completely baseless and has violated basic principles of due process and fundamental fairness.”
»MORE: Impeachment vote could come as soon as next week
The White House letter addressed to Nadler and House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins (R-Ga.) also admonishes Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for proceeding with the articles of impeachment before the committee “has heard a single shred of evidence.
“House Democrats have wasted enough of America’s time with this charade,” the letter reads. “You should end this inquiry now and not waste even more time with additional hearings...Whatever course you choose, as the President has recently stated: “if you are going to impeach me, do it now, fast, so we can have a fair trial in the Senate, and so that our Country can get back to business.”
White House will not participate in Impeachment Hearings next week. Letter from White House attorney attached. #Impeachment #POTUS pic.twitter.com/XwOj9pXqq3
— Edward Lawrence (@EdwardLawrence) December 6, 2019
On Sunday, the White House informed the House Judiciary Committee it would not participate in Wednesday's impeachment inquiry hearing, but it had not ruled out taking part in future ones, according to a report by The Hill.
The administration in a five-page letter to the committee ripped the process as "highly partisan" and accused the panel's Democratic chairman of providing little information about Wednesday's hearing.
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