FILE PHOTO - Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker waits to speak at a news conference about charges against China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, its chief financial officer and two affiliates, at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will defend his handling of the U.S. special counsel’s Russia probe before a U.S. House of Representatives panel on Friday, but will not discuss his communications with President Donald Trump, according to his prepared testimony.

Whitaker said he would invoke executive privilege at the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s hearing, the testimony said. He also planned to tell lawmakers there has been no change in overall management of the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion with Trump’s campaign, it said.