<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/31/impeachment-court-balance-authority-between-house-president-trump/2496212001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Impeachment: House and White House agree that neither wants a federal judge to decide whether a witness must testify</a>  <font color="#6f6f6f">USA TODAY</font>
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President Donald Trump explains he wasn’t seeing eye-to-eye with ousted hawkish national security adviser John Bolton. The sudden shake-up comes as the president faces pressing decisions on difficult foreign policy issues. (Sept. 11) AP

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WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives and President Donald Trump found something to agree on in the impeachment inquiry: Both sides want a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from a former deputy national security adviser.

Charles Kupperman, who served as deputy to former National Security Adviser John Bolton, filed a lawsuit Oct. 25 asking the federal courts to decide whether he should testify under subpoena in the inquiry. Kupperman defied a House subpoena on Monday while awaiting the decision because he worried any decision he makes “will inflict grave Constitutional injury on either the House or the President,” as stated in the lawsuit.

But lawyers for the House and the White House each told U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon they plan to ask him to dismiss the case. Leon held the meeting before either side had even filed written arguments in the case because he is eager to resolve the case quickly.

Todd Tatelman, deputy general counsel for the House, said the lawsuit runs afoul of Supreme Court precedent. Tatelman said Kupperman has two options: not show up to testify, as other White House officials have done, or comply with the subpoena.

“We believe very strongly that the complaint serves no other purpose than to attempt to delay” the impeachment proceedings, Tatelman said. 

Elizabeth Shapiro, a Justice Department official who represents Trump, said she also intends to file a motion to dismiss.

Charles Cooper, Kupperman’s attorney, said his client resorted to the lawsuit “to avoid running the risk of doing the wrong thing.” He said Kupperman is in a “classic catch-22” situation, in which he can’t satisfy both the House and the White House.

“My guy is caught in the middle of it,” Cooper said, adding that Kupperman risks criminal liability if he tries to satisfy either side. But Kupperman is “perfectly prepared to satisfy” whatever the court decides he’s legally required to do, Cooper added.

Leon set deadlines for participants to file arguments and scheduled oral arguments for Dec. 10.

The case is one of several that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court and redefine the relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government. Trump personally filed other cases to prevent House committees from gaining access from his accountants to his tax returns or from his lenders to his loan documents.

The Justice Department has also opposed a District Court ruling that ordered access for the House Judiciary Committee to the grand-jury evidence behind special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. And the administration continues to fight the panel’s subpoena of former White House counsel Don McGahn, who was described in several episodes of Mueller’s report dealing with Trump possibly obstructing justice.

Kupperman’s 17-page filing says that if he defies Trump, he could hurt the president’s ability to receive confidential advice from top aides. Trump, who called the inquiry a partisan “witch hunt,” vowed to fight all subpoenas. White House counsel Pat Cipollone notified House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Oct. 8 that the administration wouldn’t cooperate with inquiry, for lack of a House vote authorizing it. 

But by defying the House subpoena, Kupperman noted that he could impede their constitutional duty to investigate potential impeachment and could be subject to criminal penalties for contempt. Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry Sept. 24 and said no floor vote is needed.

The chairmen of the three key committees investigating Ukraine – Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y, of Foreign Affairs; Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., of Intelligence; and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., of Oversight – wrote Kupperman a letter Saturday saying his lawsuit was meritless. The chairmen also warned that his defiance of the subpoena could be evidence of contempt.

“Dr. Kupperman’s lawsuit – lacking in legal merit and apparently coordinated with the White House – is an obvious and desperate tactic by the President to delay and obstruct the lawful constitutional functions of Congress and conceal evidence about his conduct from the impeachment inquiry,” the chairmen wrote.

More on the House impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump:

John Bolton’s ex-deputy Kupperman defies subpoena, doesn’t show up for testimony in Trump impeachment probe

‘Slow-motion constitutional car crash’: Trump, Congress battle over investigations with no end in sight

Donald Trump to Nancy Pelosi: No cooperation in ‘partisan’ impeachment investigation

A man stops to look at newspaper front pages from around the U.S. on display at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25, 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced on Sept. 24, 2019 she will launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. A whistleblower&#39;s complaint alleged President Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
President Donald Trump rails against journalists asking questions about an impeachment inquiry during a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in the East Room of the White House on Oct. 2, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California reads a statement announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2019.
Ukraine President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky shows an ancient Bulava (historic symbol of the state power) during his inauguration in the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 20, 2019. The whistleblower complaint alleges that during a July 25, 2019, phone call President Donald Trump &quot;sought to pressure the Ukrainian leader to take actions to help the President&#39;s 2020 reelection bid.&quot;
The White House released on Sept. 25, 2019, a memorandum of the phone call, one day after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced a formal impeachment inquiry due to a whistleblower complaint regarding the call.
During the July 25, 2019, call with Trump, Zelensky said &quot;We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.&quot; According to the whistleblower complaint, &quot;on July 18, an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official informed Departments and Agencies that the President &#39;earlier that month&#39; had issued instructions to suspend all U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.&quot; Seen here, Australian Army soldiers fire a Javelin anti-tank missile during Exercise Chong Ju at the Puckapunyal Military Area on May 9, 2019 in Seymour, Australia.
A member of the audience holds a copy of the whistleblower complaint letter sent to Senate and House Intelligence Committees during testimony by Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire before the House Intelligence Committee in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26, 2019.
The whistleblower alleges that Trump had demanded Ukrainian investigations into Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden&#39;s business involvement in Ukraine. Seen here, then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden tours a Hutong alley with his son Hunter Biden in Beijing, China, on Dec. 5, 2013.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y. holds up a copy of a rough transcript of a phone call between President Donald Trump and the President of Ukraine released by the White House. Schumer was speaking to the media about an impeachment inquiry of Trump&nbsp; on Sept. 25, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Joseph Maguire, acting Director of National Intelligence, testifies about his decision to not share a whistleblower complaint in front of the House Select Committee on Intelligence on Sept. 26, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets the media in Rome on Oct. 2, 2019. Pompeo confirmed that he was on the telephone call between Trump and the Ukrainian president that is the subject of an impeachment inquiry. &quot;I was on the phone call,&quot; Pompeo told reporters in Rome.
In the July 25 telephone call conversation with Zelensky, Trump refers to Attorney General William Barr and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani several times. Seen here, President Trump hands over the podium to Attorney General William Barr while participating in an announcement on U.S. citizenship and the census in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2019.
Central to the investigation is the effort by Giuliani to have Ukraine conduct a corruption probe into Joe Biden and his son&#39;s dealings with a Ukrainian energy company. Trump echoed that request in the July 25, 2019, call with Ukraine&#39;s president. Giuliani says he&#39;d only cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry if his client agreed. In this May 5, 2018, file photo, Rudy Giuliani speaks at an event in Washington.
Trump and Zelensky met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, 2019.<br /> &nbsp;
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko speaks to journalists during his press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, March 7, 2019. Lutsenko and Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani are mentioned in the whistleblower's complaint over Trump's dealings with Ukraine.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was recalled to Washington for &quot;consultations&quot; on April 29, 2019. The whistleblower complaint cited a Rudy Giuliani interview with a Ukrainian journalist published on May 14, 2019, where he stated that Yovanovitch was &quot;removed ... because she was part of the efforts against the President.&quot; Seen here, Yovanovitch, center, sits during her meeting with then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 6, 2019.
Zelensky, left, shakes hands with Vice President Mike Pence in Warsaw, Poland on Sept. 1, 2019. A Washinton Post article published on Oct. 2, 2019, reported Trump used Pence in his attempt to pressure the new Ukrainian president to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, but is not conclusive on how much Pence knew about Trump&#39;s efforts.
Zelensky shakes hands with Secretary of Energy Rick Perry following Zelensky&#39;s inauguration ceremony on May 20, 2019, in Kiev, Urkraine. The whistleblower complaint alleges that Trump instructed Pence to cancel his plans to attend Zelensky&#39;s May 20 inauguration. Perry went instead.
Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson arrives for a closed meeting of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence regarding a whistleblower complaint on Sept. 26, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Atkinson found that the complaint appeared credible Aug. 26, after a preliminary review.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., joins Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., right, at a news conference as House Democrats move on depositions in the impeachment inquiry of Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2, 2019.
State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs the Capitol on Oct. 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Linick reportedly met with congressional officials to brief them on information related to the impeachment inquiry centered around Trump.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., holds up documents as he talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Raskin talked with reporters after attending a closed-door briefing with the State Department inspector general.
Former Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker arrives to be deposed behind closed doors amid the House of Representatives&#39; impeachment inquiry into Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3, 2019. Volker appeared before three congressional committees to testify on a whistleblower&#39;s complaint that alleged Trump requested help from the Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden
A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands at the entrance to a secure area during closed-door interviews with Kurt Volker, a former special envoy to Ukraine, as House Democrats proceed with the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 3, 2019.
Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, arrives at the Capitol where he will go behind closed doors to be questioned about the whistleblower complaint that exposed a July phone call the president had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Trump pressed for an investigation of Democratic political rival Joe Biden and his family, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 4, 2019.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Committee arrives at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 8, 2019 in Washington, DC. Schiff spoke on reports that the Trump administration has blocked the testimony of U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland in the House impeachment inquiry.
Former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch (C) arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Oct. 11, 2019. Ambassador Yovanovitch is scheduled to speak to investigators of three House committees conducting an impeachment inquiry centered on President Donald J. Trump.
Fiona Hill, former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council, walks out of the U.S. Capitol after a closed door hearing, Oct. 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Hill is the first former White House official to testify in the House's formal impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks to the media after a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees Oct. 15, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
George Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, arrives for his deposition amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump in the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Kent told lawmakers that he raised red flags about Rudy Giuliani's efforts to pressure Ukraine more than six months ago, according to a Democratic lawmaker.
From left, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa., Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., and Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, pose for a group photo on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, outside the room where people are interviewed for the impeachment inquiry.

From left, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa., Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., and Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, pose for a group photo on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, outside the room where people are interviewed for the impeachment inquiry. Susan Walsh, AP

Fullscreen

Kurt Volker, a former special envoy to Ukraine, leaves a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, after testifying before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
Michael McKinley, a former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, leaves Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, after testifying before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. McKinley told lawmakers he quit his State Department position because of growing frustration with Pompeo's refusal to defend career diplomats who felt sidelined by Giuliani's pressure campaign in Ukraine, according to multiple media reports.
US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, center, arrives for a joint interview with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 17, 2019. Sondalnd told the House impeachment panel investigating President Donald Trump that he was disappointed that he had to consult with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine policy.
Supporters of President Donald Trump hold a "Stop Impeachment" rally in front of the US Capitol Oct. 17, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney answers questions during a briefing at the White House Oct. 17, 2019 in Washington, DC. Mulvaney acknowledged that aid to Ukraine at the center of a House impeachment inquiry was withheld in part because of the president's desire for the country to investigate potential corruption regarding U.S. domestic politics.
Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, arrives to be deposed behind closed doors amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Oct. 22, 2019.
Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary for the Defense Department, arrives for her deposition amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Oct. 23, 2019.
House Republicans gather for a news conference after Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper arrived for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump, Oct. 23, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Staffers deliver pizza to a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees on Capitol Hill on Oct. 23, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., leaves the podium after holding a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 24, 2019. Graham held a news conference following a meeting at the White House with President Trump and introduced a resolution condemning the House impeachment investigation.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, center, with Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. (R), responds to a question from the news media prior to the testimony of US Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, before a closed session of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Oct. 29 2019.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., opens a door to enter a restricted area to attend the closed-door deposition of Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, Philip Reeker (not pictured); amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Oct. 26, 2019.
Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, arrives at a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees Oct. 29, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Vindman was on Capitol Hill to testify to the committees for the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.
House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., joined at left by Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., presides over a markup of the resolution that will formalize the next steps in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 30, 2019.
Catherine Croft, a State Department adviser on Ukraine, departs a secure area of the Capitol after a closed door meeting where she testified as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Oct. 30, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
hristopher Anderson, center left, a State Department Foreign Service officer, arrives for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 30, 2019.&nbsp;
Former top national security adviser to President Donald Trump, Tim Morrison, arrives for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 31, 2019.

Replay

  • A man stops to look at newspaper front pages from around the U.S. on display at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25, 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced on Sept. 24, 2019 she will launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. A whistleblower&#39;s complaint alleged President Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden.1 of 48
  • President Donald Trump rails against journalists asking questions about an impeachment inquiry during a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in the East Room of the White House on Oct. 2, 2019 in Washington, D.C.2 of 48
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California reads a statement announcing a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, 2019.3 of 48
  • Ukraine President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky shows an ancient Bulava (historic symbol of the state power) during his inauguration in the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 20, 2019. The whistleblower complaint alleges that during a July 25, 2019, phone call President Donald Trump &quot;sought to pressure the Ukrainian leader to take actions to help the President&#39;s 2020 reelection bid.&quot;4 of 48
  • The White House released on Sept. 25, 2019, a memorandum of the phone call, one day after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced a formal impeachment inquiry due to a whistleblower complaint regarding the call.5 of 48
  • During the July 25, 2019, call with Trump, Zelensky said &quot;We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes.&quot; According to the whistleblower complaint, &quot;on July 18, an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official informed Departments and Agencies that the President &#39;earlier that month&#39; had issued instructions to suspend all U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.&quot; Seen here, Australian Army soldiers fire a Javelin anti-tank missile during Exercise Chong Ju at the Puckapunyal Military Area on May 9, 2019 in Seymour, Australia.6 of 48
  • A member of the audience holds a copy of the whistleblower complaint letter sent to Senate and House Intelligence Committees during testimony by Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire before the House Intelligence Committee in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26, 2019.7 of 48
  • The whistleblower alleges that Trump had demanded Ukrainian investigations into Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden&#39;s business involvement in Ukraine. Seen here, then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden tours a Hutong alley with his son Hunter Biden in Beijing, China, on Dec. 5, 2013.8 of 48
  • Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y. holds up a copy of a rough transcript of a phone call between President Donald Trump and the President of Ukraine released by the White House. Schumer was speaking to the media about an impeachment inquiry of Trump&nbsp; on Sept. 25, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.9 of 48
  • Joseph Maguire, acting Director of National Intelligence, testifies about his decision to not share a whistleblower complaint in front of the House Select Committee on Intelligence on Sept. 26, 2019 in Washington, D.C.10 of 48
  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets the media in Rome on Oct. 2, 2019. Pompeo confirmed that he was on the telephone call between Trump and the Ukrainian president that is the subject of an impeachment inquiry. &quot;I was on the phone call,&quot; Pompeo told reporters in Rome.11 of 48
  • In the July 25 telephone call conversation with Zelensky, Trump refers to Attorney General William Barr and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani several times. Seen here, President Trump hands over the podium to Attorney General William Barr while participating in an announcement on U.S. citizenship and the census in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2019.12 of 48
  • Central to the investigation is the effort by Giuliani to have Ukraine conduct a corruption probe into Joe Biden and his son&#39;s dealings with a Ukrainian energy company. Trump echoed that request in the July 25, 2019, call with Ukraine&#39;s president. Giuliani says he&#39;d only cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry if his client agreed. In this May 5, 2018, file photo, Rudy Giuliani speaks at an event in Washington.13 of 48
  • Trump and Zelensky met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, 2019.<br /> &nbsp;14 of 48
  • Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko speaks to journalists during his press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, March 7, 2019. Lutsenko and Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani are mentioned in the whistleblower's complaint over Trump's dealings with Ukraine.15 of 48
  • U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was recalled to Washington for &quot;consultations&quot; on April 29, 2019. The whistleblower complaint cited a Rudy Giuliani interview with a Ukrainian journalist published on May 14, 2019, where he stated that Yovanovitch was &quot;removed ... because she was part of the efforts against the President.&quot; Seen here, Yovanovitch, center, sits during her meeting with then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 6, 2019.16 of 48
  • Zelensky, left, shakes hands with Vice President Mike Pence in Warsaw, Poland on Sept. 1, 2019. A Washinton Post article published on Oct. 2, 2019, reported Trump used Pence in his attempt to pressure the new Ukrainian president to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, but is not conclusive on how much Pence knew about Trump&#39;s efforts.17 of 48
  • Zelensky shakes hands with Secretary of Energy Rick Perry following Zelensky&#39;s inauguration ceremony on May 20, 2019, in Kiev, Urkraine. The whistleblower complaint alleges that Trump instructed Pence to cancel his plans to attend Zelensky&#39;s May 20 inauguration. Perry went instead.18 of 48
  • Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson arrives for a closed meeting of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence regarding a whistleblower complaint on Sept. 26, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Atkinson found that the complaint appeared credible Aug. 26, after a preliminary review.19 of 48
  • House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., joins Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., right, at a news conference as House Democrats move on depositions in the impeachment inquiry of Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2, 2019.20 of 48
  • State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs the Capitol on Oct. 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Linick reportedly met with congressional officials to brief them on information related to the impeachment inquiry centered around Trump.21 of 48
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., holds up documents as he talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Raskin talked with reporters after attending a closed-door briefing with the State Department inspector general.22 of 48
  • Former Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker arrives to be deposed behind closed doors amid the House of Representatives&#39; impeachment inquiry into Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3, 2019. Volker appeared before three congressional committees to testify on a whistleblower&#39;s complaint that alleged Trump requested help from the Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden23 of 48
  • A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands at the entrance to a secure area during closed-door interviews with Kurt Volker, a former special envoy to Ukraine, as House Democrats proceed with the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 3, 2019.24 of 48
  • Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community, arrives at the Capitol where he will go behind closed doors to be questioned about the whistleblower complaint that exposed a July phone call the president had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Trump pressed for an investigation of Democratic political rival Joe Biden and his family, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 4, 2019.25 of 48
  • Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence Committee arrives at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 8, 2019 in Washington, DC. Schiff spoke on reports that the Trump administration has blocked the testimony of U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland in the House impeachment inquiry.26 of 48
  • Former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch (C) arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Oct. 11, 2019. Ambassador Yovanovitch is scheduled to speak to investigators of three House committees conducting an impeachment inquiry centered on President Donald J. Trump.27 of 48
  • Fiona Hill, former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council, walks out of the U.S. Capitol after a closed door hearing, Oct. 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Hill is the first former White House official to testify in the House's formal impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump.28 of 48
  • House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks to the media after a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees Oct. 15, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. 29 of 48
  • George Kent, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, arrives for his deposition amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump in the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Kent told lawmakers that he raised red flags about Rudy Giuliani's efforts to pressure Ukraine more than six months ago, according to a Democratic lawmaker. 30 of 48
  • From left, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa., Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., and Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, pose for a group photo on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, outside the room where people are interviewed for the impeachment inquiry.31 of 48
  • Kurt Volker, a former special envoy to Ukraine, leaves a closed door meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, after testifying before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.32 of 48
  • Michael McKinley, a former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, leaves Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 16, 2019, after testifying before congressional lawmakers as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. McKinley told lawmakers he quit his State Department position because of growing frustration with Pompeo's refusal to defend career diplomats who felt sidelined by Giuliani's pressure campaign in Ukraine, according to multiple media reports.33 of 48
  • US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, center, arrives for a joint interview with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 17, 2019. Sondalnd told the House impeachment panel investigating President Donald Trump that he was disappointed that he had to consult with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine policy.34 of 48
  • Supporters of President Donald Trump hold a "Stop Impeachment" rally in front of the US Capitol Oct. 17, 2019 in Washington, DC.35 of 48
  • Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney answers questions during a briefing at the White House Oct. 17, 2019 in Washington, DC. Mulvaney acknowledged that aid to Ukraine at the center of a House impeachment inquiry was withheld in part because of the president's desire for the country to investigate potential corruption regarding U.S. domestic politics.36 of 48
  • Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine, arrives to be deposed behind closed doors amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Oct. 22, 2019.37 of 48
  • Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary for the Defense Department, arrives for her deposition amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump on Oct. 23, 2019.38 of 48
  • House Republicans gather for a news conference after Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper arrived for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump, Oct. 23, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington.39 of 48
  • Staffers deliver pizza to a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees on Capitol Hill on Oct. 23, 2019 in Washington, DC.40 of 48
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., leaves the podium after holding a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 24, 2019. Graham held a news conference following a meeting at the White House with President Trump and introduced a resolution condemning the House impeachment investigation.41 of 48
  • Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, center, with Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. (R), responds to a question from the news media prior to the testimony of US Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, before a closed session of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, Oct. 29 2019.42 of 48
  • Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., opens a door to enter a restricted area to attend the closed-door deposition of Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, Philip Reeker (not pictured); amid the US House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into President Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Oct. 26, 2019.43 of 48
  • Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, arrives at a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees Oct. 29, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Vindman was on Capitol Hill to testify to the committees for the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.44 of 48
  • House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., joined at left by Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., presides over a markup of the resolution that will formalize the next steps in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 30, 2019.45 of 48
  • Catherine Croft, a State Department adviser on Ukraine, departs a secure area of the Capitol after a closed door meeting where she testified as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Oct. 30, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington.46 of 48
  • hristopher Anderson, center left, a State Department Foreign Service officer, arrives for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 30, 2019.&nbsp;47 of 48
  • Former top national security adviser to President Donald Trump, Tim Morrison, arrives for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, Oct. 31, 2019.48 of 48

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