The White House is warning Cabinet members not to speak later this month at the Democratic National Convention, where Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails County GOP in Minnesota shares image comparing Sanders to Hitler Holder: 'Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past' MORE will be officially nominated for president, according to The New York Times.

ADVERTISEMENT

The speaking ban comes as a handful of President Obama’s Cabinet members — including Labor Secretary Thomas Perez Thomas Edward PerezClinton’s top five vice presidential picks Government social programs: Triumph of hope over evidence Labor’s 'wasteful spending and mismanagement” at Workers’ Comp MORE and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro — have been floated as potential running mates for Clinton, who was once a part of Obama's Cabinet herself.

The directive was issued by White House chief of staff Denis McDonough Denis Richard McDonoughSenate Intel leaders ask judge not to jail former aide amid leak investigation Live coverage: Justice IG testifies before House on report criticizing FBI Ex-Obama chief of staff: Obama's Russia response was 'watered down' MORE, according to the report. It is seen as a move by the White House to distance itself from election-year politics in the waning months of the Obama administration.

“This is largely an effort to delineate as clearly as possible the public, official governing responsibilities we have at the White House, and separate that from politics,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told the newspaper.

President Obama plans to stump with Clinton, his former secretary of State, this week in North Carolina. He endorsed Clinton last month.