John Bolton Confirms Willingness To Testify In Senate If Subpoenaed

After congratulating those involved in the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani over the weekend:

“Long in the making, this was a decisive blow against Iran’s malign Quds Force activities worldwide,” he tweeted of the strike.

“Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.”

Former national security advisor and uber-neocon John Bolton has issued a statement clarifying his intent to testify during the impeachment process if The Senate subpoenas him.

During the present impeachment controversy, 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. 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.

But both the President and the House of Representatives opposed his effort on jurisdictional grounds, and each other on the merits. The House committee went so far as to withdraw its subpoena to Dr. Kupperman in a deliberate attempt to moot the case and deprive the court of jurisdiction. Judge Richard Leon, in a carefully reasoned opinion on December 30, held Dr. Kupperman’s case to be moot, and therefore did not reach the separation-of-powers issues.

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.

This noteworthy since, as Axios reports, “Bolton was a voracious note-taker, in every meeting,” said a source who attended numerous meetings with him. While others sat and listened in meetings with Trump, Bolton distinguished himself by filling legal pads with contemporaneous notes on what was said in the room.

Of course, the chances of The Senate subpoena-ing him are de minimus, but we are sure this will lead the news cycle now with Democratic talking points proclaiming, why would the Republicans not want him to speak if Trump was ‘clean’… Guilty!!