(CNN) The House Intelligence committee did not issue a subpoena to John Bolton after his attorney threatened to go to court to fight if it was issued, according to a House Intelligence Committee official.

"We would welcome John Bolton's deposition and he did not appear as he was requested today. His counsel has informed us that unlike three other dedicated public servants who worked for him on the NSC and have complied with lawful subpoenas, Mr. Bolton would take us to court if we subpoenaed him," the official said in a statement provided to CNN.

The official continued, "We regret Mr. Bolton's decision not to appear voluntarily, but we have no interest in allowing the administration to play rope-a-dope with us in the courts for months. Rather, the White House instruction that he not appear will add to the evidence of the President's obstruction of Congress."

The decision not to subpoena Bolton signals how Democrats are moving forward with their impeachment inquiry without officials like Bolton who have either defied subpoenas or signaled an unwillingness to testify voluntarily.

Should the fight over Bolton's testimony go to court, it would likely lead to a prolonged process that would extend beyond the House impeachment efforts, which they are looking to wrap up before the end of the year. Therefore, any court decision that would allow Bolton to testify would likely come too late for the Democrats' timeline.

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