Impeachment Hearings in the House Intelligence Committee chaired by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) have wrapped up, with Schiff making an emotional and theatrical final push to convince other lawmakers and the American people that President Trump is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors worthy of being removed from the office of President of the United States.
Adam Schiff has not been without controversy of his own though, with instances such as his parody of the July 25th phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and his claims of evidence of a smoking gun during the Mueller/Russia 2016 election interference investigation. Schiff of course still wants to be taken seriously and has made his case that President Trump had an inappropriate phone call with Zelensky regarding investigation requests including Hunter Biden and whether or not Ukraine tried to help Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
*Updated below to read “December 1st at 6PM”*
Now that Schiff’s hearings have wrapped up, the process will be punted over to the House Judiciary Committee lead by none other than another of President Trump’s nemesis’, Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY). Nadler is now telling President Trump that he himself is indeed invited to come testify, and is giving him until December 1st at 6 PM, to let the Committee know if he and his legal team will be ‘cooperating’ with the hearings. Bizpacreview reports:
The same deadline was similarly passed on to the president’s lawyers as well as House Republicans, who will have until that date to call new witnesses and introduce evidence. He also called a December 9 meeting to discuss the issue.
The Judiciary panel is anticipated to hold its own series of impeachment hearings in which they will discuss the matter with legal experts, deciding if there are constitutional grounds for articles of impeachment. President Trump was invited to sit in on these hearings and has been told that he has until 6 p.m. EST on Sunday to accept or reject.
ABC News reports in a series of two tweets:
BREAKING: House Judiciary Committee will hold its first impeachment hearing next Wednesday, Dec. 4, Chairman Jerry Nadler announces. Additionally:
BREAKING: House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler sends letter to Pres. Trump, reminding him he and his lawyers have a right to attend the hearing.
SEE ABC NEWS TWEETS BELOW:
BREAKING: House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler sends letter to Pres. Trump, reminding him he and his lawyers have a right to attend the hearing. https://t.co/B2HmmUinPR pic.twitter.com/OnqUkKMMeV
— ABC News (@ABC) November 26, 2019
The Republicans, specifically ranking member and Congressmen Doug Collins (R-GA) have a special guest invited to testify at Nadler’s Judiciary hearings as well. The Washington Times reported that Doug Collins told Fox News Sunday: “Adam Schiff is the author of this report, he’s the author of many things”. Schiff is being asked to testify at this week’s Judiciary hearings, among others, by the Republicans. Adam Schiff is planning on releasing his House Intelligence Committee report to the House Judiciary late Monday of this week. Doug Collins doesn’t think that’s enough time for transparency.
The coming days will shed more light on how this next wave of Congressional hearings will pan out, as well as what will be the result of the Republican’s request for Adam Schiff to testify. President Trump also wants Schiff to testify in the event of a Senate trial as well, to which Schiff has shown signs of discomfort for, although he hasn’t full out said he would refuse to testify.
