House Republicans put forward a list of witnesses on Saturday that they’d ilke to see testify in open hearings as part of the impeachment inquiry. Among the names included in a letter to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, Republicans listed former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and the anonymous whistleblower, among others.
“Americans see through this sham impeachment process, despite the Democrats’ efforts to retroactively legitimize it last week,” Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican in the House Intelligence Committee wrote in the letter to Schiff. Nunes went on to write that “the American people deserve to hear” from the witnesses they are requesting in order “to provide transparency to your otherwise opaque and unfair process.” Mentioning the whistleblower in particular, Nunes said “Trump should be afforded an opportunity to confront his accusers.”
Nunes also listed former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker, State Department official David Hale, and Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer as requested witnesses. Nunes provides justification for each of the witness requests and makes clear that many have to do with rejecting baseless conspiracy theories. That is, for example, why Republicans want the testimony of Nellie Ohr, a former contractor for Fusion GPS, and Alexandra Chalupa, who was a staffer with the Democratic National Committee. In justifying the presence of Ohr and Chalupa on the list, Nunes noted “Trump’s documented belief that the Ukrainian government meddled in the 2016 election to oppose his candidacy.”
This is the full list of witnesses Republicans have requested:
· Devon Archer, former board member of Burisma Holdings · Hunter Biden, former board member of Burisma Holdings · Alexandra Chalupa, former Democratic National Committee staffer · David Hale, under secretary of State for political affairs · Tim Morrison, former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Counsel · Nellie Ohr, former contractor for Fusion GPS · Kurt Volker, former U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations · The whistleblower · Anyone the whistleblower relied on to create the complaint
Although Republicans can request any witness they want, the final word on whether they will be called lies with the Democrats and they are widely expected to overrule the call to both Biden and the whistleblower at least.
The impeachment hearings are scheduled to begin next week as part of the effort by Democrats to take the case against Trump to the public. So far at least, there are three witnesses scheduled ot testify next week, U.S. diplomat Bill Taylor, State Department official George Kent, and former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch..
