White House is preparing to formally object to Democrats’ impeachment inquiry as soon as on October 4, saying it won’t cooperate with probe because it was initiated without a vote of House. White House Counsel’s Office was preparing to send a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi objecting to form of impeachment investigation, a person familiar with matter said late Thursday, speaking on condition of anymity to discuss letter before its dissemination. Pelosi last week anunced that House was beginning formal inquiry but didn’t seek consent of full chamber, as was done for impeachment investigations into former Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Rudy Giuliani, president’s personal attorney, confirmed that letter was forthcoming. Trump allies have suggested for days that without a formal vote, House is merely conducting standard oversight, entitling lawmakers to a lesser level of disclosure from ministration. Justice Department raised similar arguments last month, though that was before Pelosi anunced impeachment investigation.

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Giuliani dismissed entire premise of impeachment inquiry

In a letter Thursday to House Mirity Leer Kevin McCarthy, Pelosi argued, “re is requirement under Constitution, under House Rules, or House precedent that whole House vote before proceeding with an impeachment inquiry”. re’s clear-cut procedure in Constitution for launching an impeachment inquiry, leaving many of se questions about obstruction untested in court, said Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University. “re’s specification in Constitution in what does and does t constitute a more formal impeachment inquiry or investigation,” he said. “One can argue if y’re in an impeachment investigation, y’re in an impeachment.” Giuliani dismissed entire premise of impeachment inquiry, which is centered on Trump asking Ukraine to investigate his possible political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

“ president was t tasking Ukraine to investigate a political opponent,” Giuliani told Associated Press on Thursday. “He wanted an investigation into a seriously conflicted former vice president of United States who damd reputation of United States in Ukraine.”

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Democrats threaten to use ministration's refusal as a ground for impeachment

Democrats have sought to use ir declared impeachment investigation to bolster ir case to access all sorts of documents from ministration, most recently secret grand jury information that underpinned special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in 2016 election. y have also threatened to use ministration’s refusal to turn over documents and make witnesses available to potentially form an article of impeachment over “obstruction” of congressional inquiry. Where courts have generally required congressional oversight requests to demonstrate a legitimate legislative purpose, impeachment requests could be wide-ranging. It is unclear if Democrats would we into a lengthy legal fight with ministration over documents and testimony _ or if y would just move straight to considering articles of impeachment. Pelosi has sought to avoid a vote on impeachment probe for same reason she resisted, for months, liberal calls to try to remove president: It would force moderate House Democrats to make a politically risky vote. White House, meanwhile, is trying to force question on Democrats, as it seeks to raise political cost for ir impeachment investigation and to animate president’s supporters ahe of 2020 election.

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