White House prepares formal objection to impeachment probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday the White House is preparing a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally objecting to the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry without an official vote.

It’s expected to say the administration won’t cooperate with the probe without that vote — but he also said he believes it will pass.

Trump acknowledged that Democrats in the House “have the votes” to begin a formal impeachment inquiry, even if they don’t in the Senate. But he also said he believes the move will backfire politically.

“I really believe that they’re going to pay a tremendous price at the polls,” he said.

Pelosi last week announced that the House was beginning the inquiry but didn’t seek the consent of the full chamber, as was done for impeachment investigations into former Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton..

Trump allies have suggested for days that without a formal vote, the House is merely conducting standard oversight, entitling lawmakers to a lesser level of disclosure from the administration.

The Justice Department raised similar arguments last month, though that was before Pelosi announced the impeachment investigation.

In a letter Thursday to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Pelosi argued, “There is no requirement under the Constitution, under House Rules, or House precedent that the whole House vote before proceeding with an impeachment inquiry.”

There’s no clear-cut procedure in the Constitution for launching an impeachment inquiry, leaving many questions about possible presidential obstruction untested in court, said Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University.

“There’s no specification in the Constitution in what does and does not constitute a more formal impeachment inquiry or investigation,” he said.

Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney, dismissed the entire premise of the impeachment inquiry, which is centred on Trump asking Ukraine to investigate his possible political rival, Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden.

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