The Latest: Bolton won't testify without subpoena

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Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a military officer at the National Security Council, center, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, to appear before a House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Committee on Oversight and Reform joint interview with the transcript to be part of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

WASHINGTON, DC – The Latest on President Donald Trump and the House impeachment inquiry (all times local):

8:10 p.m.

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Former National Security Adviser John Bolton is not agreeing to a voluntarily interview in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

The House committees leading the impeachment investigation have asked Bolton to appear behind closed doors next week. But Bolton's lawyer, Charles Cooper, says Bolton will not appear without a subpoena.

Democrats have issued subpoenas to several other witnesses who ended up testifying.

Lawmakers want to hear from Bolton after other witnesses told them of his concerns with Trump's dealings in Ukraine and the backchannel activities of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer.

Trump ousted Bolton as national security adviser in September.

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5:55 p.m.

A top adviser to President Donald Trump on Russia and Europe is resigning on the eve of his testimony in the House's impeachment probe.

A senior administration official says Tim Morrison, a National Security Council official, "has decided to pursue other opportunities." The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, adds that Morrison has been considering leaving the administration for "some time."

Morrison is set to face lawmakers Thursday morning. He was one of the officials listening in on Trump's July call with the president of Ukraine.

He has been a central figure in other testimony about Trump's decision to withhold military assistance to Ukraine, as well as efforts by the president and his allies to pressure Ukraine to investigate Trump's political rivals.

— Zeke Miller

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4 p.m.

Three House committees leading Democrats' impeachment inquiry have asked former National Security Adviser John Bolton to appear behind closed doors next week, according to a person familiar with the request.

The committees have asked Bolton to appear Nov. 7, according to the person, who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential invitation. They have also asked two current staffers on the National Security Council, Michael Ellis and lawyer John Eisenberg, to testify Nov. 4. The depositions have not yet been scheduled.

Lawmakers have said they are interested in hearing from Bolton after other witnesses testified of his concerns about President Donald Trump's dealings in Ukraine.

— Mary Clare Jalonick

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3 p.m.

The Army officer who reported his concerns over President Donald Trump's phone call with Ukraine's president is willing to testify publicly in the impeachment inquiry.

A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman would testify in a public setting. Vindman spoke to investigators behind closed doors on Tuesday.

House Democrats are preparing for open public hearings possibly in a matter of weeks as the impeachment investigation moves forward.

They are probing Trump's call seeking to have Ukraine to investigate Democrats and the family of Joe Biden as the White House was withholding military aid to the country.

Trump says he did nothing wrong. Democrats call it a potentially impeachable offense.

—Lisa Mascaro

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10:30 a.m.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is asking the secretary of the Army for a briefing on what actions he is taking to protect Alexander Vindman, a lieutenant colonel detailed to the White House who testified in Democrats' impeachment inquiry on Tuesday.

Schumer wrote Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Army Chief of Staff James McConville after Democrats in the closed-door deposition with Vindman said they pushed back on Republican attempts to reveal the identity of a whistleblower who filed a complaint about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

Vindman testified that he was concerned about those requests but said he didn't know the identity of the original whistleblower.

Schumer asked the Army officials to "issue public statements indicating your support for him."

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7:47 a.m.

A State Department foreign service officer will tell Congress that former Trump national security adviser John Bolton expressed caution about the role of Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, as a go-between with Ukraine.

Christopher Anderson and Catherine Croft, another foreign service officer, are set to testify Wednesday in the House impeachment inquiry.

Anderson will tell lawmakers about a June meeting with Bolton in which Bolton said he supported increased White House engagement with the Ukraine government. But Anderson will say that Bolton also warned that Giuliani was a "key voice with the president on Ukraine" and that that could be an obstacle.

House Democrats are investigating Trump's pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter as Trump withheld military aid to the Eastern European nation. Giuliani was leading the push for the investigations.

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12:08 a.m.

Investigators in the House impeachment inquiry expect to hear from two more government witnesses behind closed doors.

Testimony Wednesday is scheduled from two Ukraine experts at the State Department. Meanwhile, lawmakers are considering rules for public hearings and a potential impeachment vote against President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, an Army officer who serves on the National Security Council testified he twice raised concerns over the push to have Ukraine investigate Joe Biden.

In remarks prepared for his appearance, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman said he actually heard the July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine's president. He said he didn't think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen. He also expressed worry about the implications for U.S. support of Ukraine.