WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democrats on Thursday asked Donald Trump to testify under oath at his Senate impeachment trial, saying the former president must explain why he and his lawyers challenged important factual allegations at the center of the case. .
The House’s impeachment administrators’ request makes clear its intention to file an aggressive case against the former president, even though he has left the White House. A Trump adviser did not immediately return a message asking for comments on the managers’ letter.
The Senate impeachment trial begins on February 9. Trump is accused of inciting a crowd of supporters who broke into the Capitol on January 6.
In the letter, Representative Jamie Raskin, one of the impeachment managers, asked Trump to provide testimony “before or during the Senate impeachment trial” and under interrogation about his conduct on January 6, already on Monday and not after that next Thursday, February 11th.
Raskin said Trump questioned critical facts in the case “despite clear and overwhelming evidence of his constitutional offense”.
“In light of your challenge to these factual allegations, I am writing to invite you to testify under oath, before or during the impeachment trial in the Senate, regarding your conduct on January 6, 2021,” wrote Raskin.
Raskin wrote that if Trump refuses to testify, managers will use his refusal against him in the trial – a similar argument made by House Democrats in last year’s impeachment trial, when many Trump officials ignored the subpoenas.
“In fact, while an incumbent may raise concerns about distraction from his official duties, that concern is obviously inapplicable here,” wrote Raskin.