House Democrats reportedly seeking testimony from Mueller deputies

House Democrats want to hear from two of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's deputies, but the Department of Justice is trying to block the men from testifying before lawmakers, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

James Quarles and Aaron Zebley are negotiating the terms of their possible closed-door testimony with the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees, and The Journal reports they may testify on July 17 — the same day Mueller is set to appear before both panels for public testimony. Mueller has already said he will only discuss what he wrote in his report on the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by President Trump.

Quarles and Zebley have both left the Department of Justice, and it's likely the DOJ would not be able to keep the private citizens from appearing before the committees, The New York Times reports. Mueller, Quarles, and Zebley all worked together at the law firm WilmerHale, and Quarles and Zebley left to join the special counsel's office. Zebley was also Mueller's chief of staff while he was the director of the FBI, and Quarles was an assistant special prosecutor during Watergate.

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