WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2019) President Donald Trump's refusal to testify before US Congress during the next round of impeachment hearings is unfortunate because it has been a priority, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a press release on Monday.
On Sunday, the White House in a letter notified Nadler that Trump will not take part in the hearings citing likelihood of an unfair process and bias from the committee's Democratic majority.
"Late last night, the president and his counsel turned down our invitation to participate in Wednesday's hearing," Nadler said. "His response is unfortunate because allowing the president to participate has been a priority for the House from the outset."
Nadler's invitation to Trump contrasted sharply with the first phase of the House impeachment probe in November - a series of private hearings off limits to most House lawmakers followed by a series of public hearings in which there was little or no mention of presidential participation.
Trump has dismissed the impeachment inquiry as a "sham," refused to cooperate with the investigation and withheld thousands of pages of documents sought by House Democrats.
Nadler urged Trump to turn over the documents, allow administration officials to testify and provide any exculpatory evidence that would refute "the overwhelming evidence of his abuse of power."
Nadler, who takes over the impeachment effort from the Intelligence Committee this month, has invited four constitutional scholars to testify at his first hearing on Wednesday - three Democrats and one Republican.
Meanwhile, the Intelligence Committee is completing a report on its inquiry, which is expected to provide the basis for Democrats on Nadler's committee to draft articles of impeachment.
The impeachment effort is based largely on Trump's request that a foreign government - Ukraine - investigate political rival and former Vice President Joe Biden.
