The acting White House chief of staff is seeking to join a lawsuit where the defendant is none other than his boss, Donald Trump. Mick Mulvaney wants to know whether he should listen to his boss, who doesn’t want him to testify to impeachment investigators, or the decision of a federal court, which could compel him to testify. From the New York Times:

“Even in a White House of never-befores, this may be one of the more head-spinning: The president’s chief of staff is trying to join a lawsuit against the president.“

Other White House employees who’ve been subpoenaed have chosen to ignore the Congressional directive. It’s not clear why Mr. Mulvaney, as the Times writes, “chose another course.” His relationship with Mr. Trump is said to be increasingly strained.

From the Times:

“It’s symptomatic of a White House that is more dysfunctional than ever — except now it’s not just chaos, the long knives are coming out,” said Chris Whipple, the author of “The Gatekeepers,” a history of White House chiefs of staff. “Everybody, including the White House chief, seems to be lawyering up.”