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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 2 deceMber 2019
White House says it won't participate in impeachment hearing

By HOPE YEN months of investigation, the
Associated Press findings of the Intelligence
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Committee report were
White House declared Sun- not yet publicly known. But
day it would not participate the report was expected
in the first impeachment to focus mostly on whether
hearings before the House Trump abused his office by
Judiciary Committee as withholding military aid ap-
Democrats prepared to proved by Congress and a
approve their report Tues- White House meeting as he
day making the case for pressed Ukrainian President
President Donald Trump's Volodymyr Zelenskiy to
removal from office. launch investigations into
The Democratic majority Trump's political rivals.
on the House Intelligence Democrats also were ex-
Committee says its report pected to include an ar-
will speak for itself in lay- ticle on obstruction of Con-
ing out possible charges of gress that outlines Trump's
bribery or "high crimes and instructions to officials in his
misdemeanors," the con- administration to defy sub-
stitutional standard for im- poenas for documents or
peachment. After receiv- testimony. Democrats were
ing the report, the Judiciary In this July 25, 2019, file phot, President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony for new Secretary aiming for a final House
Committee would prepare of Defense Mark Esper at the Pentagon. vote by Christmas, which
actual charges. Associated Press would set the stage for a
That committee's first hear- likely Senate trial in Janu-
ing was already set for Wednesday hearing, but form of the impeachment ther hearings before Trump ary. "I do believe that all
Wednesday and was ex- its counsel declined in a fi- proceedings. Trump him- would decide whether to evidence certainly will be
pected to feature four le- ery letter released Sunday self was scheduled to at- participate in those hear- included in that report so
gal experts who will exam- evening. "This baseless and tend a summit with NATO ings. House-passed rules the Judiciary Committee
ine questions of constitu- highly partisan inquiry vio- allies outside London on provide the president and can make the necessary
tional grounds as the com- lates all past historical prec- Wednesday. his attorneys the right to decisions that they need
mittee decides whether to edent, basic due process Cipollone's letter applied cross-examine witnesses to," said Rep. Val Demings,
write articles of impeach- rights, and fundamental only to the Wednesday and review evidence be- D-Fla., a member of both
ment against Trump, and fairness," said White House hearing, and he demand- fore the committee, but the Intelligence and Judi-
if so, what those articles counsel Pat Cipollone, ed more information from little ability to bring forward ciary committees.
would be. The White House continuing the West Wing's Democrats on how they witnesses of their own. She said Democrats had
was invited to attend the attack on the procedural intended to conduct fur- Republicans, meanwhile, not yet finalized witnesses
wanted Democratic Rep. for the upcoming Judi-
Adam Schiff, chairman ciary hearings and were
of the Intelligence Com- waiting to hear back from
mittee, to testify before Trump on his plans to pres-
the Judiciary Committee, ent a defense. "If he has
though they have no pow- not done anything wrong,
er to compel him to do so, we're certainly anxious to
as they joined the White hear his explanation of
House effort to try to cast that," Demings said.
the Democratic-led inquiry Trump has previously sug-
as skewed against the Re- gested that he might be
publican president. willing to offer written tes-
"If he chooses not to (testi- timony under certain con-
fy), then I really question his ditions, though aides sug-
veracity in what he's put- gested they did not an-
ting in his report," said Rep. ticipate Democrats would
Doug Collins, the top Re- ever agree to them.
publican on the Judiciary "The Democrats are hold-
Committee. ing the most ridiculous Im-
"It's easy to hide behind peachment hearings in his-
a report," Collins added. tory. Read the Transcripts,
"But it's going to be an- NOTHING was done or
other thing to actually get said wrong!" Trump tweet-
up and have to answer ed Saturday. Democrats
questions." Schiff has said had pressed Trump to de-
"there's nothing for me to cide by Friday whether he
testify about," that he isn't would take advantage of
a "fact" witness and that due process protections af-
Republicans are only trying forded to him under House
to "mollify the president, rules adopted in October
and that's not a good rea- for follow-up hearings, in-
son to try to call a member cluding the right to request
of Congress as a witness." witness testimony and to
Coming after two weeks of cross-examine the witness-
public testimony and two es called by the House.q