By David Montanaro | Fox News
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., insisted Friday that she will work hard to ensure there is a fair process for President Trump after the House voted along party lines to approve guidelines for their impeachment inquiry.
Dingell was pressed by “America’s Newsroom” anchor Sandra Smith on whether the process has been fair so far. She answered that Republicans have been present in all of the closed-door depositions, where several current and former national security officials and diplomats have testified about Trump’s call to the president of Ukraine.
Some have accused Trump of withholding military aid in exchange for an investigation of the Biden family, though the White House has maintained no quid pro quo was conveyed.
HOUSE APPROVES IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY RULES
“People are spouting these talking points … [that] Democrats are not giving Republicans the same amount that the minority had last time, that’s just categorically not true. The general counsel of the White House, Republicans are in every one of these meetings,” said Dingell, acknowledging that the American people are demanding a fair process is followed.
Republicans have alleged that the Democrats leading the charge have been looking to impeach all along. And they drew close attention to Nancy Pelosi’s March warning — especially considering Pelosi even cast a rare vote on the resolution itself, voting for it.
Republicans argued that while she said in March any impeachment push should be bipartisan, the only bipartisan vote Thursday was to oppose the resolution, as two Democrats broke ranks in opposition. No Republicans supported it.
Earlier on the show, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said House Democrats must conduct the inquiry “straight down the line” in a fair and open way. He said the process so far has been no different than any criminal proceeding, where a grand jury hears testimony in secret before a trial is conducted in public.
Coons lamented that the Senate is continuing to work on other issues, but impeachment is “drowning out everything that’s happening in Washington” and furthering divisions.David Montanaro is a Senior Editor with Fox News.
