Three top government officials will be leaving their posts, despite being asked to stay by the incoming administration.



Stephanie O'Sullivan, the principal deputy director of national intelligence; Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Toria Nuland; and Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Cathy Novelli will be vacating their positions, Reuters reported Thursday.



Their names appear on a list of officials who have been asked to stay as President-elect Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE prepares to take office Friday.



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Reuters noted that it was not clear whether the partial list of officials that included O'Sullivan, Nuland and Novelli was the same list of 50 appointees asked to remain in the government.

Earlier Thursday, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer announced that about 50 senior Obama administration officials were asked to remain in their posts in order to "ensure the continuity of government."The list of officials asked to stay includes Brett McGurk, special envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria; Adam Szubin, who is in charge of supervising international sanctions at the Treasury Department; Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work; Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon; and others.