Former President Donald Trump refused Thursday to testify in his looming impeachment trial after being called by House prosecutors to give evidence, branding the process “unconstitutional.
Trump’s lawyers ridiculed the request in a letter by lead House prosecutor Jamie Raskin to answer questions over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol as a “public relations stunt.”
“Your letter only confirms what is known to everyone: you cannot prove your allegations” against Trump, attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen said in their reply.
While the attorneys did not say whether he would testify, a senior advisor to Trump, Jason Miller, said flatly that he would not.
The refusal came five days before the trial of the former US leader on one charge of “incitement to insurrection” opens in the US Senate.
In his unprecedented second impeachment trial, Trump is accused of fomenting the attack by his supporters on the US legislature one month ago, forcing a halt to proceedings to certify opponent Joe Biden’s victory in the November presidential election.
While Democrats will make such statements the focus of their case, Trump’s lawyers will hone in on the question of constitutionality.
Conviction requires support of two-thirds of the 100 senators, who serve as judges and jury in the trial. But last week 45 of 50 Republican senators made clear in a vote they think trying an ex-president is unconstitutional.
In other news – Somizi attacked for buying expensive clothes made by a South African
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Source: IOL
