February 5, 2020

Trump’s Bolton Nightmare Is All But Certain to Drag on After He’s Acquitted

Nadler confirmed that the House is leaning toward subpoenaing the former national security adviser.

Andrew Harrer/CNP/ZUMA

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The Republican-controlled Senate may be just hours away from acquitting President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but the Ukraine scandal at the center of the president’s impeachment trial is showing no signs of abating.

On Wednesday, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler confirmed that the House is “likely” to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton to testify about his direct knowledge of the scandal. That news comes on the heels of last week’s Senate vote to block witnesses, including Bolton, from being called in the trial, despite mounting reports detailing several bombshell allegations Bolton is prepared to make against Trump in his upcoming memoir. Those allegations reportedly include Bolton’s claim that Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine into opening investigations into his political rivals started much earlier than previously known.

Some background: House Democrats had invited Bolton to testify in their impeachment proceedings, but the former national security adviser declined to show up after the White House ordered him not to. Democrats eventually chose not to subpoena Bolton before voting to impeach Trump, due to the lengthy court battle it would have sparked.

Now, with Trump’s acquittal all but certain today, news of a likely Bolton subpoena might be cold comfort for Democrats and critics of the president. But it does ensure that embarrassing, potentially damaging allegations against Trump will continue to dominate news cycles ahead. 

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