A flood of transcripts, a request for Bolton to appear. What's ahead in Week 7 of the impeachment inquiry

WASHINGTON – The House impeachment inquiry summoned John Bolton, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, and other top aides for closed-door depositions in the seventh week of their investigation, setting up a series of high-stakes clashes because several of the officials said they won't appear.

The investigators are also releasing transcripts from the closed-door depositions that three key committees – Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight and Reform – have been collecting for weeks. After the release Monday of transcripts for Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and Michael McKinley, a former top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, more transcripts are expected to be released throughout the week.

The requests for testimony from high-profile officials including Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Bolton come as the inquiry shifts from weeks of collecting evidence in private to holding public hearings in the Intelligence and Judiciary committees. The public hearings are expected to begin later this month, although no firm schedule is set, according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

But witnesses, which include top aides to Trump, aren't expected to appear because the White House has said it wouldn't cooperate with the investigation.

More transcripts are expected to be released during the week, with two on Tuesday from Kurt Volker, who was a special U.S. envoy to Ukraine, and Gordon Sondland, who is the U.S. ambassador to the European Union. Each testified about how Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was guiding Ukraine policy. But while Volker said requiring Ukraine to investigate Trump's rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, would have been "crazy," Sondland said he wasn't aware of any quid pro quo for an investigation in exchange for military aid.

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Trump, for his part, held a political rally Monday in Kentucky and will hold another Wednesday in Louisiana.

Here is a summary of what’s expected this week:

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Wednesday: Perry says he won't show

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Acting OMB Director Russ Vought, State Department counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl and David Hale, the under secretary of State for political affairs, comprise the top-level slate of witnesses scheduled for Wednesday.

But a spokeswoman for Perry, who has already announced his resignation, said Friday that he wouldn't participate in a "secret star chamber inquisition," although he might consider testifying at a public hearing. Vought has previously tweeted that neither he nor Duffey would participate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has already missed document deadlines and accused House Democrats of harassing department workers by requesting their testimony.

Also on Wednesday, Trump will rally supporters in Monroe, Louisiana, for Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone, who is campaigning against Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Thursday: Bolton on Ukraine policy

Bolton could provide a perspective Thursday from a top administration official critical of the Ukraine policy.

Fiona Hill, a former National Security Council senior director on Europe and Russia, testified that Bolton told her to contact Eisenberg after a July 10 meeting about Ukraine policy. Bolton said he wasn’t part of whatever deal was sought by Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, and Mulvaney.

Sondland and other witnesses have said Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, guided Ukraine policy, and Hill said Bolton referred to Giuliani as “a hand grenade who’s going to blow everybody up.”

Bolton’s attorney, Charles Cooper, has said his client would not appear without a subpoena.

Another witness summoned for Thursday is Jennifer Williams, a State Department staffer reporting to Keith Kellogg, the national security adviser for Vice President Mike Pence.

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Friday: Mick Mulvaney

The inquiry summoned Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to testify Friday. Mulvaney acknowledged during an Oct. 17 news conference at the White House that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in part to encourage an investigation of U.S. domestic politics, a trade-off that Mulvaney said was common in diplomacy. But he later issued a statement saying there was no quid pro quo to provide aid in exchange for an investigation of the 2016 election.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said Mulvaney won't “participate in such a ridiculous, partisan, illegitimate proceeding.”

The inquiry also summoned Mark Sandy, the White House Office of Management and Budget's associate director for national security programs, for testimony Friday. But Acting OMB Director Russ Vought has said his office won't be cooperating with the investigation.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump impeachment inquiry: John Bolton, Rick Perry summoned to testify