WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday pushed back against a request by House Democrats to depose five current and former State Department officials in the Ukraine probe, saying it could be seen as an intimidation attempt.
"I'm concerned with aspects of the committee's request that can be understood only as an attempt to intimidate, bully, & treat improperly the distinguished professionals of the Department of State," Pompeo wrote in a tweet accompanying a fiery letter to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel.
He said he would "use all means at my disposal to prevent and expose any attempts to intimidate the dedicated professionals" of the State Department.
(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Tim Ahmann)