The White House will not take part in congressional hearings scheduled to begin this week that will consider passing impeachment articles against the national leader, US President Donald Trump's attorney said in a Sunday letter.
"We cannot fairly be expected to participate in a hearing while the witnesses are yet to be named and while it remains unclear whether the Judiciary Committee will afford the President a fair process through additional hearings", White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a five-page letter sent to Jerry Nadler, Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives.
He also accused the Judiciary Committee of deliberately asking the President to be present at the hearings when he is scheduled to participate in the NATO summit in London at the time.
The second round of impeachment hearings will begin Wednesday.
"Accordingly, under the current circumstances, we do not intend to participate in your Wednesday hearing", Pat Cipollone added.
Pat Cipollone added that the White House would write a separate letter on whether Trump would mount a defence in further impeachment proceedings.
Previously, Trump, who denies claims of pressuring Ukraine's Zelensky to probe former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, slammed Democrats on Twitter, saying that the impeachment hearings would take place at the same time as the NATO summit in London on 3-4 December.