Giuliani associate says John Bolton is a key impeachment witness, bolstering Democrats’ calls for him to testify in Senate trial
- Rudy Giuliani’s partner Lev Parnas told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday that former national security advisor John Bolton understands”100 percent” concerning the Trump government’s attempts to stress Ukraine.
- “He’s a whole lot to say” Parnas informed Maddow.
- Democrats in both the House and Senate have called for Bolton to testify from the impeachment proceedings.
- Bolton published an announcement on January 6 stating that he was”prepared to testify” if subpoenaed by the Senate during the impeachment trial.
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Rudy Giuliani’s partner Lev Parnas stated on Wednesday that former national security advisor John Bolton is a”keyword” into President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
Within a private interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday, Parnas discussed his role in Trump’s clear strain campaign against Ukraine, which will be in the middle of Trump’s impeachment.
Parnas and Trump’s personal attorney Giuliani played significant roles in Trump’s alleged attempts to prod Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into openly committing to investigations which could help Trump politically.
Parnas told Maddow that Bolton is a”keyword” into the events that performed in Ukraine.
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“He’s a whole lot to say,” Parnas claimed. “He is an integral witness to his dialog into Zelensky and he got fired.”
Parnas additionally claimed that Bolton had been”in the loop” on Trump’s plans.
“But you think he understands what the government had been pressuring Ukraine to perform?” Maddow asked.
“Bolton? 100%. ) He understands what happened there,” he replied.
Parnas pleaded not guilty to charges of campaign-finance offenses this past year.
House Democrats have called for Bolton to testify from the impeachment question and Senate Democrats are urging him to testify throughout event. Bolton didn’t look to get a closed-door residue in November, but on January 6 he published a statement saying that he had been”prepared to testify” if subpoenaed by the Senate.
Following a New York Times report stated that Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper were at a interview with Trump begging him to discharge military aid to Ukraine,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that using Bolton and other leading officials testify are a”game changer.”
“This brand new narrative indicates all four witnesses Senate Democrats have asked — Mick Mulvaney, John Bolton, Michael Duffey, and Robert Blair — were involved and had immediate knowledge of President Trump’s decision to cut off aid to be able to benefit himself,” Schumer said in a statement.
However, Trump has indicated he would attempt to block Bolton’s impeachment testimony. In a meeting Fox News, Trump said that he had”no difficulty” with Bolton testifying, but added he had been concerned about the effect such a testimony could have on”potential presidents” and problems of domestic security.
“There are items which you can not do from the perspective of executive privilege,” he explained. “Notably, a national security advisor… You can not have him describing each one your statements regarding national safety regarding Russia, China, and North Korea — what. We simply can not do this.”
On Wednesday, the House voted to carry the content of impeachment to the Senate. The trial is anticipated to start next week; it’s unsure if witnesses will be called.
Sonam Sheth contributed to the report.