Chief Justice John Roberts has declined to read an impeachment trial question by Sen. Rand Paul.
Paul, a Kentucky Republican, says he believes that a whistleblower may have conspired with House aides in writing the August complaint that eventually sparked the House impeachment probe of President Donald Trump.
As Trump's impeachment trial continued Thursday, the chief justice read the question to himself, then said he “declines to read the question as submitted.”
Earlier, Roberts' staff communicated to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s staff that Roberts did not want to read the whistleblowers name.
Paul responded in a tweet by saying claiming that his question "is not about a 'whistleblower' as I have no independent information on his identity."
Thursday will include up to eight hours of Senator questions ahead of an expected vote Friday on whether or not to call additional witnesses in the impeachment trial.