A statement recently given by President, Donald Trump, confirmed that he will not cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry initiated against him and that he will ignore the petitions of the Democratic opposition, saying that it “violates fundamental fairness and constitutionally mandated due process.”
In terms of the facts, the U.S. president stonewalled on Tuesday the appearance before the Lower House of a central witness in the Democrats inquiry for the impeachment.
Trump tweeted: “I would love to send Ambassador Sondland, a really good man and great American, to testify, but unfortunately he would be testifying before a totally compromised kangaroo court, where Republican’s rights have been taken away, and true facts are not allowed out for the public.”
Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union (EU), was scheduled to come to the Capitol on Tuesday to testify as part of the investigation for a political trial against Trump for pressuring his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelenski, to investigate former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter for alleged corruption.
The White House Counsel speaks
White House lawyer Pat Cipollone sent a letter on Trump’s behalf to House Speaker and Democrat, Nancy Pelosi stating his position on the inquiry about the President´s pressure on Ukraine to investigate one of his political rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Cipollone wrote in his letter that “Given that your inquiry lacks any legitimate constitutional foundation, any pretense of fairness, or even the most elementary due process protections, the Executive Branch cannot be expected to participate in it”
“President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry under these circumstances” he added.
Fuel to the fire
According to several specialists who have made comments through the press, the letter could provide arguments to the Democrats for taking Trump to a political trial not because of their pressure over Ukraine, but for not allowing them to adequately investigate this issue, considering the White House’s lack of cooperation as an obstruction of justice.
In addition, the letter was made public; hours after Trump blocked the testimony of one key witness on the Ukraine matter, Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union (EU).
Cipollone thus confirmed that this measure will not be isolated and that the White House does not plan to cooperate with the investigators from now on, a position that has already been glimpsed by Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, when he assured that he does not intend to appear before the Democrat-led committees leading the investigation.
The White House’s argument for stonewalling Democrats petitions is that the investigation has been opened without a vote on the issue in the full House, and that Trump has been denied “due process” guarantees by not being allowed to “call witnesses” and influence the inquiry.
Translated by: José Espinoza
Noticias Newswire
