4 White House officials set to skip impeachment depositions

None of the White House officials who were scheduled to testify Monday in the impeachment inquiry are expected to actually do so.

National Security Council lawyers John Eisenberg and Michael Ellis were scheduled to testify Monday, as were Robert Blair, assistant to the president and senior adviser to acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and Office of Management and Budget official Brian McCormack. But CNN reports all four officials aren't expected to show up for their depositions.

For Blair, Ellis and McCormack, this is reportedly because they won't be able to have an administration lawyer present, while an administration official cited executive privilege to CNN as the reason for Eisenberg snubbing Congress. The Wall Street Journal reports the officials are acting at the White House's direction.

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Energy Secretary Rick Perry is also not expected to testify this week as scheduled, while two more Office of Management and Budget officials are set to skip their depositions as well, CNN reports.

Congress is investigating whether President Trump abused his power by withholding aid to Ukraine to secure investigations that might help him politically, and The Wall Street Journal notes lawmakers are probing the Office of Management and Budget's involvement in placing a hold on the aid. Politico's Kyle Cheney reports Blair and Ellis have been issued subpoenas, but Blair's attorney previously told Politico he wouldn't testify if he received a subpoena.