The State Department directed European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland NOT to testify before the House Joint Committee Tuesday on impeachment.

House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said on Tuesday that “failure to produce this witness” is “strong evidence of obstruction.”

Dem chairs of three key committees, Schiff, Cummings and Engel announced they would issue a subpoena to Mr. Sondland for documents and testimony.

“The White House has once again attempted to impede and obstruct the impeachment inquiry,” the three Democrats said in a statement.

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Schiff on admin blocking Sondland appearance: We consider this interference to be obstruction of the impeachment inquiry. We will be issuing subpoena to Ambassador Sondland for both his testimony and documents. — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 8, 2019

Schiff also claimed Tuesday that the ambassador has text messages on a personal device that the State Department is “withholding.”

“We know from the text messages that Ambassador Sondland was in discussion with Ukrainian counterparts, with fellow diplomatic personnel, and the president, and at least one U.S. senator, about the course of events we are investigating,” Schiff said.

“The American people have the right to know if the president is acting in their interests, in the nation’s interest … and not in his narrow personal, political interests,” he said.

WATCH:

NEW: After State Dept. bars key witness from testifying in House probe, House Intel Chair Adam Schiff says, "We're also aware the ambassador has text messages or emails on a personal device…and the State Department is withholding those messages as well." https://t.co/5ZHA3qhSu6 pic.twitter.com/Ksef3HclWn — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 8, 2019

Last week Fox News obtained encrypted text messages sent between Ukrainian special envoy Kurt Volker and other US officials such US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland and Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Bill Taylor.

The text messages show US Ambassador to the EU defending Trump and making it clear there was no quid pro quo in the President’s communications with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Schiff refuses to release the transcript of Kurt Volker’s testimony to Congress because it destroys his entire impeachment narrative — and notice he hasn’t leaked Volker’s testimony either because he only leaks information that is damaging to President Trump!

The Democrats have now issued subpoenas to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the White House, Giuliani, the Pentagon and now Gordon Sondland — when the Trump White House and others refuse to comply with the subpoenas, the House Dems will file articles of impeachment for “Obstruction of Congress” (not obstruction of justice).

Even if the House of Representatives votes to impeach President Trump, 20 Republican Senators would have to flip on Trump in order to reach the required 67 votes to convict the president in the Senate.