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JERROLD NADLER, Now York DOUG COLIiNS Georgia
CHAIRMAN RANiaNG MINRITY MEMBER
December 6, 2019 Vo%- ittr ot
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The Honorable Jerrold Nadler M1fington, IBC 20515-6216
Chairman One 19tmbreb Mixteenthf coigres
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Nadler:
In 1998, you joined your Democratic colleagues in stating that in an impeachment inquiry the
President deserves not only the presumption of innocence and the right to confront witnesses, but
due process quadrupled. You stated:
[T]he Majority position represents a breathtaking denial of the President's right to the
presumption of innocence and his right to confront any witnesses making accusations
against him. Although the Committee is not bound as a matter of House Rules to provide
these protections, we believe it is incumbent upon the Committee to provide these basic
protections. As Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-TX) observed during the Watergate inquiry,
impeachment not only mandates due process, but of [sic] 'due process quadrupled.
Chairman Schiff failed to provide those protections during his phase of this impeachment
inquiry. Rather than due process quadrupled, he provided zero due process to the President.
We hope that changes now that the impeachment inquiry has finally come to the Judiciary
Committee-the committee that historically has handled the entire impeachment process in the
House of Representatives.
Thus far, the only witnesses Chairman Schiff has permitted to testify publicly are those he has
previously vetted and approved in a private deposition setting. He did not permit Republicans or
the President to call any additional witnesses. We hope that will change. To provide context and
transparency about the underlying facts at issue in this impeachment inquiry, the American
people deserve to hear from the following witnesses in the Judiciary Committee:
1. Chairman Adam Schiff. There is no indication the Judiciary Committee will hold
any hearings with fact witnesses, and instead, will have to rely on a report written by
Chairman Schiff and his staff. As the author of the Intelligence Committee report and
the chief prosecutor for the House, it is imperative that Chairman Schiff testify before
this committee and entertain questions from duly elected Members of Congress. At a
minimum, he should testify about his report, just as Special Counsel Robert Mueller
and Independent Counsel Ken Starr testified to this Committee about their reports.
2. The anonymous whistleblower whose complaint initiated this impeachment
inquiry. As you stated in 1998, the President should be afforded the opportunity to
H.R. Rep. 105-830, 10511, Cong. 126 at 264-265 (1998).](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.presidents/usgvtwht0223&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)