UPDATE 1-Acting U.S. attorney general won't discuss Trump communications at hearing

Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said on Friday he would decline to answer questions about his communications with President Donald Trump at a congressional hearing expected to focus on his oversight of a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Whitaker, Trump's unorthodox pick to temporarily fill the top Justice Department position left vacant by the departure of Jeff Sessions, will invoke executive privilege in declining to discuss "the contents of deliberations or conversations with the president," according to his prepared testimony.

The acting attorney general, who is due to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, also said there had been no change in the overall management of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Democrats, who took control of the House last month and are increasing oversight of the Trump administration, want to shine a light on any actions Whitaker took regarding the probe, including communications with the White House and the firing of Sessions in November.

Russia has denied any meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia and has called Mueller’s investigation a witch hunt. (Writing by Susan Heavey Editing by Paul Simao)