Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has a story to tell. His own story . . . about the delay in the delivery of military aid to Ukraine in exchange for dirt about President Trump’s potential political foe Joe Biden. The damning allegations lodged by Bolton in the manuscript of a book he hopes to have published soon just got more intense.
As The New York Times reported on January 31, 2020, Bolton alleges that President Trump directed Bolton in May 2019 to help a pressure campaign to extract damaging information on Democrats from Ukrainian officials. It occurred more than two months before President Trump asked Ukraine’s president in a telephone call to investigate Biden.
Further, Bolton contends that this Oval Office conversation included the acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, the president’s personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani and the White House counsel, Pat Cipollone, who is now leading the president’s impeachment defense. Trump denies this conversation occurred, as does Giuliani.
But whether Bolton can testify before Congress – or even have some of his manuscripts actually make it into print – are in doubt. That is because nearly all Senate Republicans – and perhaps some Senate Democrats — are seeking to block any witnesses from providing testimony at the impeachment hearing.
Further, the White House is seeking to prohibit the publication of Bolton’s book as currently written on grounds that it contains classified information.
As is common practice, current and former Executive Branch employees must have their book manuscripts vetted to determine whether they contain classified information. Bolton himself has had prior books submitted for pre-publication review. He contends the current book – like his past efforts – does not contain any classified information.
Some have argued that Bolton should stymie efforts to silence him by simply publishing an op-ed piece with his revelations. But that could diminish the demand and the value of a book.
One has to believe that Bolton’s information eventually will be revealed. The real question is just a matter of when.
