The White House released a letter saying it will not be cooperating with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) impeachment inquiry and instead called on House Democrats to hold a full impeachment vote.
“You have designed and implemented your inquiry in a manner that violates fundamental fairness and constitutionally mandated due process,” Pat Cipollone, White House counsel, said in the document addressed to Pelosi, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).
The full letter, posted on the White House’s website (pdf) on Tuesday, reads as follows:
“President Trump and his administration reject your baseless, unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process,” the letter stated. “Your unprecedented actions have left the president with no choice. In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the Executive Branch, and all future occupants of the Office of the Presidency, President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry under these circumstances.”
The White House document concluded, “The president has a country to lead. The American people elected him to do this job, and he remains focused on fulfilling his promises to the American people.”
House Democrats said in late September that an inquiry into impeaching President Trump was underway. They have accused Trump of abusing his power by asking Ukraine’s president to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
“In the history of our nation, the House of Representatives has never attempted to launch an impeachment inquiry against the president without a majority of the House taking political accountability for that decision by voting to authorize such a dramatic constitutional step,” the letter also said.
It continued, “Without waiting to see what was actually said on the call, a press conference was held announcing an ‘impeachment inquiry’ based on falsehoods and misinformation about the call.”
