​Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday blasted a House committee that subpoenaed a number of the department’s officials for depositions and documents, claiming the Democrat-led panel is trying to “bully” and “intimidate.”

“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, including several career FSOs​,” Pompeo said in a tweet, referring to Foreign Service Officers.

​

​”Let me be clear: I will not tolerate such tactics, and I will use all means at my disposal to prevent and expose any attempts to intimidate the dedicated professionals whom I am proud to lead and serve alongside at the Department of State​,” he said in the posting, which included a three-page letter to Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Engel’s panel was among two others — House Intelligence and House Oversight — that last Friday issued subpoenas to the State Department for documents.

They are investigating a July 25 phone call between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump sought an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The phone call was revealed by a whistleblower who contacted the inspector general of the intelligence community in August.

Pompeo, who according to the Wall Street Journal was among the administration officials who took part in the call between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, said the five people subpoenaed will not appear until “we obtain further clarity on these matters.”

Engel, a New York Democrat, and the chairs of the other committees, Reps. Adam Schiff and Elijah Cummings, alluded to him being in on the call.

“If true, Secretary Pompeo is now a fact witness in the House impeachment inquiry. He should immediately cease intimidating Department witnesses in order to protect himself and the President,” the trio said in a statement.

“Any effort to intimidate witnesses or prevent them from talking with Congress—including State Department employees—is illegal and will constitute evidence of obstruction of the impeachment inquiry.”

The committees are investigating a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump sought an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The phone call was revealed by a whistleblower who contacted the inspector general of the intelligence community in August.

The depositions were scheduled to begin on Wednesday with former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

Others asked to appear include Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe George Kent, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, State Department Counselor Ulrich Brechbuhl and the Special Envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker.

Volker resigned last Friday.

Pompeo, who has also been subpoenaed, said the committees provided “woefully inadequate opportunity” for the five to prepare and consult with private or State Department lawyers before their scheduled appearances.

He also questioned whether the panels have the legal authority to compel them to appear or to threaten that they could be charged for not doing so.

“You have asserted that failure by Department officials to meet your demonstrably inadequate timeline for voluntary appearances ‘shall constitute evidence of obstruction.’ There is no legal basis for such a threat,” Pompeo wrote in the letter.