The White House told Democratic lawmakers Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump would not send legal counsel to participate in a congressional impeachment hearing this week, citing a lack of "fundamental fairness."

The White House's decision was in response to the first of two crucial deadlines it faces in Congress this week as Democrats prepared to shift the focus of their impeachment inquiry from fact-finding to the consideration of possible charges of misconduct over Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, tasked with considering charges known as articles of impeachment, had given Trump until 6 p.m. Sunday to say whether he would dispatch a lawyer to take part in the judiciary panel's proceeding on Wednesday.