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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 9 OctOber 2019

Constitutional collision: WH vows no cooperation in probe

By ZEKE MILLER and JILL the administration will have
COLVIN "a full halt" because "this is
Associated Press not a valid procedure" for
WASHINGTON (AP) — The an impeachment inquiry.
White House declared The official spoke on the
Tuesday it will not cooper- condition of anonymity to
ate with what it termed the discuss the administration's
"illegitimate" impeachment position.
probe by House Demo- The letter mounts a sweep-
crats, sharpening the con- ing and aggressive attack
stitutional clash between on the House proceedings
President Donald Trump and signals a battle ahead
and Congress. over whether the president
Trump attorneys sent a let- is receiving the legal pro-
ter to House leaders bluntly tections he and his lawyers
stating their refusal to par- believe he deserves.
ticipate in the quickly mov- The White House is claiming
ing impeachment investi- that Trump's constitutional
gation. rights to cross-examine
"Given that your inquiry witnesses and review all
lacks any legitimate con- evidence in impeachment
stitutional foundation, any proceedings extend even
pretense of fairness, or even to House investigations, not
the most elementary due just a potential Senate trial.
process protections, the Ex- It also is calling on Demo-
ecutive Branch cannot be crats to grant Republicans
expected to participate in the House subpoena
in it," White House Counsel power to seek evidence in
Pat Cipollone wrote. President Donald Trump pauses before speaking during a ceremony to present the Presidential the president's defense.
The White House is currently Medal of Freedom to former Attorney General Edwin Meese, in the Oval Office of the White House, The White House letter
objecting that the House Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, in Washington. came as a federal judge
did not formally vote to Associated Press heard arguments Tues-
begin the impeachment day in a separate case on
inquiry into Trump. It also be removed from office for ert Luskin, said his client was said Monday at the White whether the House had
claims that Trump's due "treason, bribery, or other "profoundly disappointed" House. "You can't impeach undertaken a formal im-
process rights are being high crimes and misde- that he wouldn't be able to a president for doing a peachment inquiry despite
violated and is attacking meanors," if supported by a testify. And Schiff said Sond- great job. This is a scam." not having taken an offi-
the conduct of House intel- two-thirds Senate vote. But land's no-show was "yet ad- A whistleblower's com- cial vote and whether the
ligence committee Chair- it offers little guidance be- ditional strong evidence" plaint and text messages inquiry can be character-
man Adam Schiff. yond that on proceedings. of obstruction of Congress released by another envoy ized, under the law, as a
House Speaker Nancy Pe- The White House letter by Trump and Secretary of portray Sondland as a po- "judicial proceeding."
losi has insisted the House marks the beginning of a State Mike Pompeo that tentially important witness That distinction matters be-
is well within its rules to con- new strategy to counter will only strengthen a pos- in allegations that the Re- cause while grand jury tes-
duct oversight of the ex- the impeachment threat to sible impeachment case. publican president sought timony is ordinarily secret,
ecutive branch under the Trump: Stall. Obfuscate. At- The House followed up to dig up dirt on a Demo- one exception authorizes a
Constitution regardless of tack. Repeat. Trump aides Tuesday afternoon with cratic rival in Ukraine and judge to disclose it in con-
a formal impeachment in- have been honing their ap- subpoenas for Sondland's other countries in the name nection with a judicial pro-
quiry vote. proach after two weeks of testimony and records. of foreign policy. ceeding. House Democrats
Schiff, commenting be- what allies have described As lawmakers seek to Pelosi said thwarting the are seeking grand jury tes-
fore the White House letter as a listless and unfocused amass ammunition to be witness testimony on Tues- timony from special coun-
was released, said, "For this response to the impeach- used in an impeachment day was an "abuse of pow- sel Robert Mueller's Russia
impeachment inquiry we ment probe. trial, the White House in- er" in itself by the president. investigation as they con-
are determined to find an- Earlier Tuesday, Trump in- creasingly believes all-out A senior administration of- duct their impeachment
swers." tensified his fight with Con- warfare is its best course of ficial told reporters that no inquiry.
The Constitution states the gress by blocking Gordon action. additional witnesses under "The House under the Con-
House has the sole pow- Sondland, the U.S. Europe- "What they did to this coun- its purview will be permit- stitution sets its own rules,
er of impeachment, and an Union ambassador, from try is unthinkable. It's lucky ted to appear in front of and the House has sole
that the Senate has the testifying behind closed that I'm the president. A Congress or comply with power over impeachment,"
sole power to conduct im- doors about the president's lot of people said very few document requests, saying Douglas Letter, a lawyer for
peachment trials. It speci- dealings with Ukraine. people could handle it. I the policy under the cur- the House Judiciary Com-
fies that a president can Sondland's attorney, Rob- sort of thrive on it," Trump rent circumstances is that mittee, told the court.q