White House urges House judiciary panel to end 'baseless' impeachment process

The impeachment process against President Donald Trump must be halted because it is completely baseless and violates due process, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said in a letter to US House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler.

"As you know your impeachment inquiry is completely baseless," the letter said on Friday.

"You should end this inquiry now and not waste time with any additional hearings," it added.

The House Judiciary Committee is assessing the evidence for impeachment provided by the House Intelligence Committee hearings and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ordered Nadler and his committee to start drawing up articles of impeachment against Trump.

"Adopting articles of impeachment would be a reckless abuse of power by House Democrats, and would constitute the most unjust, highly partisan and unconstitutional attempt at impeachment in our Nation's history," Cipollone wrote.

Pelosi had ordered House Democrats to proceed with drawing up the articles of impeachment before the House Judiciary Committee had heard any evidence at all, Cipollone wrote.