Bolton: If the Senate Sends Subpoena for Impeachment Trial ‘I am Prepared to Testify’
Bolton decided to take this route “based on careful consideration and study.”
Former national security advisor John Bolton announced today that he would testify if the Senate sends him a subpoena for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.
Bolton wrote in a statement:
The House has concluded its Constitutional responsibility by adopting Articles of Impeachment related to the Ukraine matter. It now falls to the Senate to fulfill its Constitutional obligation to try impeachments, and it does not appear possible that a final judicial resolution of the still-unanswered Constitutional questions can be obtained before the Senate acts.
Accordingly, since my testimony is once again at issue, I have had to resolve the serious competing issues as best I could, based on careful consideration and study. I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify.
The House subpoenaed Bolton’s colleague Dr. Charles Kupperman, but Trump blocked him from testifying. Kupperman’s counsel Charles Cooper, who also represents Bolton, “sought final resolution of this Constitutional conflict from the Federal judiciary.”
The Democrats decided not to subpoena Bolton after his counsel told them he “would seek judicial resolution” as well.
The House eventually withdrew Kupperman’s subpoena instead of waiting for a resolution that may have come too late. Judge Richard Leon “held Dr. Kupperman’s case to be moot” in an opinion he released on December 30th.
Cooper informed the Democrats in November that Bolton “was personally involved in many of the events, meetings, and conversations” about Ukraine. Bolton also participated in “many relevant meetings and conversations that have not yet been discussed in the testimonies thus far.”
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Comments
Bolton has let his pique at the manner in which he was dismissed get the better of him. Very disappointing.
The fact that he’s decided not to get ground up fighting the system doesn’t in any way imply that he’s going to give the Dems what they want.
And what do you think is going to happen if Bolton doesn’t give the testimony that democrats are so desperate to hear. He’s going to be “ground up” by the “system” no two ways about it. Gotta feel sorry for Bolton. He’s in a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation with no way out that preserves any dignity or respect. Good luck to him.
Probably true, but he doesn’t really have any other good options.
Assuming there are witnesses at any Senate Trial, why do you think the Socialist-Democrats won’t get something they want after Bolton is placed under Oath? Sort of depends on how the questions are asked
There’s always the Fifth.
It’s very unlikely that Bolton has anything damning to say about Trump, and he didn’t want to be a part of the Schiff & Nadler Circus. It appears that he behaved like a jerk in sacking Bolton when he was quite prepared to resign if Trump didn’t want his advice, but that’s stupid and vindictive, not a crime. What else could he say? He gave Trump his considered opinion, and Trump didn’t want to hear it.
How do you know what Bolton would say?
He was relieved for advocating what Trump has ended up doing with Iran. His policy recommendations have been vindicated!
IIRC, Bolton is an attorney and has access to capable counsel. He can stick with the facts and the truth as well as the next guy, better than most.
Hopefully, the Senate will paint by numbers and acquit or dismiss before castigating the House for their frivolous abuse of authority.
Meanwhile, someone in California should have already commenced a recommendation to disbar Schiff.
My bet is that McConnell and Graham have already told him they don’t intend to subpoena anybody. Which makes this a very cheap and easy thing for Bolton to say.
And also the smartest. The assumption here appears to be that Bolton’s testimony would be damaging to Trump. That doesn’t necessarily follow.
Sigh, fair is fair. If Trump weren’t maybe the worst politician of all time at hiring loyal people, then this would not be happening. Still, I would like to hear what Bolton has to say. I doubt he will contradict the President’s account with any evidence. But if he can, don’t we want to know?
The curse of being an outsider. He had to rely on unreliable people to help him pick his team.
Time and again we have had people making claims about Trump which turned out to be false. Bolton was canned, he has an ax to grind, which makes anything he says suspect. So no, I do not want more media horse crap based on Bolton.
“Still, I would like to hear what Bolton has to say.”
Sure you would. After the release of the transcript made clear no quid pro quo exists, you hop Bolton will contradict this with something that can not be substantiated. It’s what dishonest hacks and neverTrumpers like you do.
We already know all there is to know. Nothing happened. the Ukraine says nothing happened. The transcript proves nothing happened. Trump released the funds and armed the Ukraine and the Ukraine did nothing we asked.
And to top it off, had Trump told the Ukraine to investigate the corrupt he would just be doing the job he was elected to do. Not one damn thing wrong with that.
So, SteChit, your full of horse puckey like every other POS neverTrumper that comments here.
A few choice selections for the LI crowd:
“There is a different foreign policy that would work, but it doesn’t appear that Trump has the balls (or he’s too much a globalist deep-state puppet) to try it.”
“Trump’s brand of banal/bully politics easily manipulates hatemongering self-loathers like you into useful idiots.”
“I don’t how the Free Wold can lose in that scenario; but the Deep State (of which Der Trump is a card carrying member, don’t kid yourself otherwise) will promptly explain on FauxSnooze to all us Trumpty Sheeple precisely why “we can’t afford to leave Iraq.””
“Humpty Trumpty has yet to tweet out his plans to remove them! Wake up; you’re being played by a Fabian Phony!”
“Pretend Non-Rednecks like you won’t get Trump re-elected. He needs the Proud Redneck states’ electoral votes–especially Florida.”
SteChit is a piece of work. The intellect of a 3 year old with the ego of Godzilla.
“Still, I would like to hear what Bolton has to say.”
Absolutely correct. The ratchet goes like this:
-Event happens
-Statements are made by multiple people who say the event isn’t criminal
-Whiners complain until Bob testifies, and he too says nothing is criminal.
-Whiners complain until Fred testifies, as above.
-(fill in several links)
-Whiners complain until Zeke testifies, although he was never in the room, thinks flying saucers are landing in his back yard, and drools in the witness stand, but he claims something totally unlike the hundred or so other witnesses, and the media goes wild with story after story about how wonderful Zeke is, et al…
I have watched Bolton for many years and have found that he has been right on a few occasions. But generally, he is bellicose when diplomacy is needed. Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq are but a few that should have been dealt with by diplomacy. ISIS was dealt with appropriately and Trump’s handling of NK has been done correctly to this point. But if Bolton goes into any hearing and attacks Trump he is finished as a respected, by some, leader in tough international situations. His advice on every issue has been attack, attack, attack. Trump has tried to pull back from that policy but be bolder than the yellow obama. Let us all hope Bolton does not commit political suicide. The Col. Ralph Peters has found out what it is like to go after a man who understands war and threats. He has disappeared from TV.
Bolton is such an arse, the REPUBLICANS wouldn’t approve him for ambassador to the UN under President Bush. After that debacle and election of Obama his career was a total trash heap. After Trump pulled him from the trash heap and resurrected his public persona, he shows himself to be the complete arse and disloyal war monger the Republican party said he was back under Bush. His testifying violates deeply held and protected constitutional right of the President, any president, to have confidential communications with and advice from his closest personal advisors. It is NOT relevant whether Bolton has anything good or bad to say. The only relevant criteria is the preservation of the right of all presidents to receive confidential communications to and from his closest advisors. These principles should NOT be violated for a sham political impeachment that doesn’t allege any crime much less a high crime or high misdemeanor.
Bolton is for Bolton.
Once you understand that you understand why the asshole has no loyalty to anyone but himself.
He has nothing that would implicate Trump in wrongdoing, nothing. He’s only putting this out to try and damage the president politically.
I hope he rots.
The ninnies are all dreaming that Bolton will give them the elusive smoking gun to bring down Trump.
I’m so old I can remember when people thought the Valerie Plame “scandal” was going to bring down Bush 43. Many of these same people genuinely believed the BS story that then-private-citizen Bush not-yet-41 somehow commandeered an Air Force spy plane to fly him to Iran to collude with the ayatollahs in 1980.
It’s sad, really. In a freaking hilarious sort of way.
There’s nothing to worry about. This isn’t the House Schiff show. This is the Senate.
…Bolton “was personally involved in many of the events, meetings, and conversations” about Ukraine. Bolton also participated in “many relevant meetings and conversations that have not yet been discussed in the testimonies thus far.”
Wow, just about the textbook example of Executive Priv. Personally, I would be tickled pink if the Dems go through all the trouble of dragging him into this Schiff Show, only to have him answer all of their questions with “I believe that question directly impinges on established Presidential privilege regarding policy discussions with close advisers. Next, please.”
Trump shouldn’t have appointed Bolton to any post higher than cleaning rest rooms.
Once again Trump has smoked out another Conservative Icon as being more interested in getting his way than concern for the country.
It’s becoming disheartening sometimes to see someone you long held in great respect who seemed to be a thoughtful and cautious but willing to go on the offenseive foreign advisor. That was Bolton. He may still have some good left in him but he’s let his ego and the prospect of being isolated to lead him to join those who are attempting to tear apart the main institution that must be maintained; that of the Presidency as sole Executive.
There can be no other reason for Bolton to go counter to Trump’s wishes in calling his information to be privileged is to testify to Trumps unfitness or inabilities when really what Trump did was ignore his advice so now he’s going to get even.
Such pettiness is shocking to come from this man. Perhaps that’s not his intent but I can see no reason for him to make a point of telling the Democrats he’s willing to testify. They must think he has something to say that they can use and surely Bolton knows this. Will he come thru for them or is it a trap? I hope we don’t have to find out. We’ve lost so many to TDS I don’t think the Conservative Punditocracy can survive much longer as previously constituted. Hopefully others will come along who are better men than those we’ve seen dissolve into envious goo at being told by someone they consider a rank amateur that they’re wrong and then to have them proved right is just too much for their egos.
“Perhaps that’s not his intent…”
You have his intent correct. Bolton is for Bolton first and only.
He fooled many (inc me) by being a bulwark against the panty set that inhabits much of the leadership. That masked the truth, Bolton acts in Bolton’s interests.
The reality is, it’s not Bolton’s privilege, it is the presidents. Bolton doesn’t care, he wants revenge and the country be damned.
He has nothing, just an attempt to damage the president through unsubstantiated discussion. There will be no illegal activity discovered through his falsified testimony.
Big deal, testify. What’s he going to say…that he didn’t like the bosses diplomacy? Toughsh t.
He’ll go up there and testify, but DemocRats better be prepared for him to support Trump and slap the faces of these treasonous Dem losers. Watch out what you wish for!