As NSA, Bolton was privy to the president’s efforts to force Ukraine to investigate his political rivals by withholding military aid and a White House meeting.
WORLD Updated: Jan 06, 2020 23:53 IST
Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Monday announced he is ready to testify if subpoenaed in the Senate trial to convict or acquit President Donald Trump, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in December.
“If the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify,” Bolton said in a statement.
The Senate trial will determine if Trump should be removed from office, or not.
As NSA, Bolton was privy to the president’s efforts to force Ukraine to investigate his political rivals by withholding military aid and a White House meeting.
But he was not a part of it and looked at the whole effort with unconcealed distaste — called it a “drug deal” — as his subordinates had testified before impeachment investigators of the House of Representatives.
House investigators did not subpoena him as they did not want to get into a protracted court battle has he had hitched his case to that of a subordinate who had gone to court for a ruling on whether he should obey the president, who did not want him to testify, or the House, which had summoned him.
Bolton’s offer may not find any takers, however, in the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, who are standing with the president. The leaders have so far refused to agree to Democrats’ demand for deposing witnesses. But things could change if enough Republican senators split with the leadership and force it to agree to call witnesses.
