Jerry Nadler Gives Trump Friday Deadline; Impeachment to Include Russia Collusion

House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) wrote to President Donald Trump Friday, giving him until Friday, Dec. 6., to answer whether he and his lawyers would participate in the “impeachment inquiry.”

Nadler’s letter quotes the forthcoming report from the House Intelligence Committee, which will be written entirely by Democrats and which will recommend drafting articles of impeachment against the president. The report will state that there was “a months-long effort in which President Trump again sought foreign interference in our elections for his personal and political benefit at the expense of our national interest”; and that the president conducted “an unprecedented campaign of obstruction in an effort to prevent the Committees from obtaining documentary evidence and testimony.”

The word “again” suggests that the House Intelligence Committee will not limit its report to allegations that Trump invited Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election, but will also state that Trump sought Russian interference in the 2016 election — even though Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there to be no evidence of such collusion.

Ilhan Omar calls Trump ‘creep’ as president revives ‘fake name,’ marriage allegations

Meghan Markle’s Statement Triggers Internal Police Investigation Amid ‘Disturbing Allegations’ Against Her Father

Watch: Kamala Harris Turns Back the Clock to 2024, Confuses Crowd with Jumbled Motivational Quote That She Has to Repeat

‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says

Treasury traces SPLC to debanking of Christians after group dismissed it as conspiracy

Mass shooting at Jordanian church kills at least seven and wounds dozens

Polish Left pushing abortion liberalization through parliament despite looming presidential veto

LeBron James Brushes Off Trump Criticizing His Disrespectful National Anthem Antics

Two Former Top FBI Officials Arrested in Connection with Hunter Biden Investigation

Former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden investigations

Chicago’s 12-language ballots make elections ‘harder to monitor,’ Illinois GOP chair warns

Sheriff says evidence ‘leaning one way’ in shooting deaths of disabled toddler and grandparents: report

Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutiny

Israel shuts down West Bank after two soliders shot dead by Palestinian gunmen

Ilhan Omar hit with expulsion threat as GOP lawmaker vows to boot her from Congress over DOJ probe

Nadler added that Trump is being investigated for obstruction of justice, relating to actions described by Mueller in the second volume of his report, though Mueller did not recommend prosecution and Attorney General William Barr rejected obstruction charges against Trump on the merits.

The White House cooperated fully with Mueller and never exerted executive privilege over any witnesses or documents. It has resisted participating in the House “impeachment inquiry,” which it regards as illegitimate.

Nadler has invited the president and his counsel to call and question witnesses, in accordance with the House resolution authorizing the impeachment inquiry last month — though the president was not allowed to do so in the Intelligence Committee inquiry. However, Nadler and the Democratic majority on the committee can overrule requests for witnesses.

In addition, the House Rules Committee warned last month that Nadler would be allowed to limit the president’s ability to call witnesses if he does not provide witnesses and documents the committee wants.

Republicans criticized Nadler’s letter. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), who participated in the earlier round of closed-door hearings, said that Nadler’s letter proved that the president had previously been denied due process rights: