John Bolton ‘prepared to testify’ in Senate impeachment trial if subpoenaed

Although Former National Security Adviser John Bolton did not testify during the recent impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump in the U.S. House of Representatives, Democrats continue to hope that he will testify at Trump’s impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate — and according to an official statement on Monday, Bolton is willing to testify if subpoenaed.

Bolton, during the House impeachment inquiry, asserted that he wanted direction from the federal courts on whether he was subject to House subpoenas or Trump’s order that past and former members of his administration defy those subpoenas.

“During the present impeachment controversy,” Bolton said in his official statement, “I have tried to meet my obligations both as a citizen and as former national security advisor. My colleague, Dr. Charles Kupperman, faced with a House committee subpoena on the one hand and a presidential directive not to testify on the other, sought final resolution of this constitutional conflict from the federal judiciary.”

Bolton continued, “After my counsel informed the House committee that I too would seek judicial resolution of these constitutional issues, the committee chose not to subpoena me. Nevertheless, I publicly resolved to be guided by the outcome of Dr. Kupperman’s case.”

Bolton noted Judge Richard Leon’s December 30 ruling on Kupperman, saying that Leon “held Dr. Kupperman’s case to be moot.”

“The House has concluded its constitutional responsibility by adopting articles of impeachment related to the Ukraine matter,” Bolton writes. “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.”

Bolton added, “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.”