If reports are true that Chief Justice John Roberts is refusing to ask any questions from senators that include the name of the alleged “whistleblower” in the impeachment trial, the public deserves to know what his reasoning is behind that decision.

Reports on Wednesday said Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky wanted to submit a question for Roberts to read aloud in the trial but that he was rebuffed by Roberts because it contained the name of the career government employee whose complaint last year started this whole thing. On Thursday, Paul submitted a question which Roberts read silently and then replied, “The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted.”