House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said Tuesday that the White House blocking two former top Trump aides Rick Dearborn and Rob Porter from testifying before Congress amounts to “an absolute cover-up.”

“This is a coverup, plain and simple,” the New York Democrat said. “If it were to prevail, it would upend the separation of powers envisioned by our founders.”

Both Mr. Dearborn and and Mr. Porter were scheduled to testify before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. But they both declined to appear late Monday under orders from the White house, which invoked “absolute immunity.”

Mr. Nadler had another name for it, calling it “the crony privilege.”

“The White House wants to limit our and your ability to hear it all,” he said.

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski did appear at the hearing under threat of subpoena.

White House attorneys have asserted top presidential advisers have absolute immunity from appearing before Congress and cannot answer questions about obstruction of justice or other allegations in the 448-page report by special counsel Robert Mueller.

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