dearborn, who was one of the two absent witnesses at today's hearing represented by an empty chair with his name placard in front of it. >> why didn't you deliver the message that the president asked you to deliver unless you didn't deliver it because you knew it was improper to deliver? >> mr. burke, it wasn't a priority. >> let me ask you, sir, if it wasn't a priority for you to deliver the message, why did you enlist mr. dearborn to deliver the message for the president? >> again, i can't speak to private conversations i would have had with mr. dearborn at the advice of counsel. >> i'm not asking private conversations. the fact you that did it is already disclosed in the report. i'm asking why did you do it why? what's going on -- >> i knew mr. dearborn -- >> why did you do it >> can i answer now? >> please. >> okay. i've known mr. dearborn since his tenure as chief of staff to senator sessions he was my primary point of contact for jeff sessions during the trump campaign and i also knew that mr. dearborn had continued, like i