Washington: The White House has announced its refusal to participate in the first impeachment inquiry hearing before the House Judiciary Committee against President Donald Trump.
Judiciary Committee Chairman and Democrat Jerrold Nadler had invited Trump's lawyers to participate in the first public hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Counsel to the President Pat Cipollone sent a letter to Nadler on Sunday saying, "Under the current circumstances, we do not intend to participate in your Wednesday hearing."
"This baseless and highly partisan inquiry violates all past historical precedent, basic due process rights, and fundamental fairness."
Cipollone wrote that it cannot fairly be expected to participate in a hearing while the witnesses are yet to be named and while it remains unclear whether the Judiciary Committee will afford the president a fair process through additional hearings.
"More importantly, an invitation to an academic discussion with law professors does not begin to provide the president with any semblance of a fair process," he added.
Legal experts were expected to appear at Wednesday's hearing to discuss the historical and constitutional precedents of impeachment, and in his letter, Cipollone hinted that the White House considers it a minor session underlining the hearing will include no fact witnesses at all.