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Could John Bolton Be Called to Testify Against Trump in the House?
News that the former White House national security advisor said he’d be willing to testify before the Senate raises the question
While the next phase of Donald Trump’s impeachment is on ice, John Bolton is back in the news.
The former White House national security adviser said on Monday that he would be willing to testify at President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate. “I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify,” he said in a statement posted on his website.
Bolton’s statement comes as Democrats’ impeachment efforts remain in a state of stasis, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisting that the House will hold off on sending articles of impeachment to the Senate until Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can prove that his chamber will hold a fair trial with a thorough investigation.
Bolton’s statement could be a sign of big things to come in a Senate impeachment trial, which by all indications has been set up for a quick resolution that fails to convict Trump. Bolton reportedly knows about “many relevant meetings and conversations” related to Trump’s involvement with Ukraine, according to his lawyer. But the former White House official’s statement also raises serious questions — namely, why he didn’t make such an announcement when the House was conducting its investigation, and whether the House could still call him to testify even if the Senate never does.
In November, Bolton declined to appear before the House Intelligence Committee impeachment hearing following a White House directive. At the time, he said he would wait for a federal court to rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s directive, but that case has since been rendered moot after the House withdrew the subpoena that led to it.
“If Bolton is serious about telling the truth he will voluntarily testify in the House if the Senate refuses to call him.”
Some experts believe Bolton’s offer to testify before the Senate rings hollow. “[Bolton] knows that the Republican-majority Senate…
