Witnesses named for Trump impeachment hearing in United States House

Congressional Democrats on Mondaynamedthe fourwitnesseswho will testify this week at a publichearingin theimpeachmentinquiry ofUSPresident DonaldTrump, in what is seen as a likely precursor to the announcement of formal charges within weeks.

As opinion polls show Americans are bitterly divided over whether to impeachTrump, the Judiciary Committeehearingon Wednesday in the Democratic-controlledHouseof Representatives will feature four legal scholars discussing the constitutional grounds for removing aUSpresident from office.

The Judiciary panel is also expected to receive a report this week from theHouseIntelligence Committee laying out the Democratic case forTrump'simpeachment.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

A copy of the report was made available privately toHouseIntelligence members on Monday night for a 24-hour review period, and the Democratic-controlled panel is expected to vote on approval on Tuesday night.

Republican Representative Jim Jordan, an ardent defender ofTrump, told reporters he had read portions of the report in a secure room at the Capitol but was instructed not to discussthe contents until Tuesday night.

HouseRepublicans issued their own rebuttal report on Monday, saying Democrats had not established an impeachable offence byTrump.

Democrats have been looking into the Republican president's efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, the formerUSvice president who is seeking the Democratic nomination to faceTrumpin the 2020 election, and his son Hunter Biden, who was a board member of a Ukrainian energy company.

Theimpeachmentinquiry has heard testimony from current and former officials that military aid was withheld from Ukraine and that a WhiteHousemeeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was conditioned on investigations into the Bidens and a debunked conspiracy theory about Ukraine interference in the 2016USelection.

Trumphas denied any wrongdoing and says a July 25 phone call with Zelenskiy, in which he pressed for the probes, was "perfect." He and fellow Republicans say Democrats are seeking to overturn the results of the 2016 presidential election.

Wednesday'shearing, while academic in nature, will set the stage for the Judiciary Committee to begin determining whetherTrumpshould face formal articles ofimpeachment.HouseSpeaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to supporters last week thatTrumphad committed "bribery" and needed to be held accountable.

Thehearingwitnesses, announced by the committee on Monday, are Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School, Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School, Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina School of Law and Jonathan Turley of the George Washington University Law School.

In a defiant response on Sunday night, the WhiteHouseinformed Democrats thatTrumpand his lawyers would not participate in Wednesday'shearing, citing a lack of "fundamental fairness."

Speaking to reporters as he departed the WhiteHouseon Monday en route to London for a NATO summit,Trumpsaid he had declined to participate in thehearingbecause it was a hoax.

Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of theHouseJudiciary Committee, called the WhiteHouse's decision "unfortunate" and said that allowingTrumpto participate had been a priority from the outset of theimpeachmentprobe.

Watch: Donald Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

Friday deadline

WhiteHousecounsel Pat Cipollone has not ruled out taking part in future proceedings if Democrats address a list of procedural complaints.

The committee, which is not expected to consider evidence againstTrumpuntil next week, has given the president until 5 pm(2200 GMT) on Friday to say whether he plans to mount a defence by callingwitnessesand introducing evidence.

The 110-pageHouseRepublican reportsaid thewitnessescalled during theimpeachmentinquiry had painted a picture of "unelected bureaucrats" who "fundamentally disagreed with PresidentTrump's style, world view and decisions," and had presented no evidence that amounted to an impeachable offence.

HouseIntelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said the Republican report "ignores voluminous evidence that the president used the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rival," which Schiff said was outside the law and "a violation of his oath of office."

If theHouseapproves articles ofimpeachment, the Republican-controlled Senate would hold a trial to see ifTrumpshould be removed from office. That move is unlikely, as few Senate Republicans have shown an appetite for removing the president.

But theimpeachmentinquiry has cast a shadow overTrump's already tumultuous presidency and sharpened a divide among Americans that is likely to intensify as election campaigning heats up in the coming weeks.

Democratic aides said a vote on possible articles ofimpeachmentwould follow quickly on the heels of an evidentiaryhearing.