This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
October 9, 2019
White House Defies Impeachment Inquiry ¶
The White House has taken a defiant stance against the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, declaring war on the inquiry and refusing to cooperate with the process.
According to a fiery letter from White House counsel Pat Cipollone, the impeachment inquiry lacks any legitimate constitutional foundation, pretence of fairness, or even the most elementary due process protections.
"Put simply, you seek to overturn the results of the 2016 election and deprive the American people of the president they have freely chosen," Cipollone wrote in the eight-page letter.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fired back, terming the letter 'manifestly wrong' and describing it as 'another unlawful attempt to hide the facts.'
"Mr President, you are not above the law. You will be held accountable," Pelosi said, warning that 'continued efforts to hide the truth of the president's abuse of power from the American people will be regarded as further evidence of obstruction.'
The stand-off has set Washington on a path toward a constitutional crisis and into unknown territory, with the potential for a court showdown just as the nation gears up for the 2020 election.
