Democrats request testimony from Trump’s former Russia adviser

The House Democrats are requesting testimony from President Trump’s former Russia adviser.

Democratic committee chairmen Adam Schiff (Calif.), Eliot Engel (N.Y.) and Elijah Cummings (Md.) sent a letter to Fiona Hill asking her to testify on Oct. 14. She would testify in front of the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform committees, a letter released by Axios said. 

{mosads}The letter, dated Wednesday, said Hill’s testimony would be considered part of the impeachment inquiry sparked by Trump’s request to the Ukrainian president to look into potential 2020 opponent former Vice President Joe Biden. 

“Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition or produce the requested documents, including at the direction or behest of the President or the White House, shall constitute evidence of obstruction of the House’s impeachment inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against the President,” the letter said.

The letter includes a list of documents requested from Hill, who left her position in August, dating back to Jan. 20, 2017, including documents related to phone calls and interactions between the presidents of the U.S. and Ukraine or efforts by the Trump administration to work with Ukraine to investigate Biden.

It is not clear if the Trump administration will direct Hill not to testify, as it did with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland this week.

Former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker gave a deposition last week.

The White House counsel sent Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a letter Tuesday night saying the president’s administration would not cooperate with any House requests relating to the inquiry.