Below is my column in the Washington Post on the still unfolding drama surrounding the leaked contents of the book by former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Here is the column:
It was the seeming Perry Mason moment of President Trump’s impeachment trial. Just after the White House team presented its defense denying any quid pro quo over Ukrainian aid, former national security adviser John Bolton jumped up from the gallery to scream, “He did it!” Not really, but close.
A few hours after the start of the president’s defense, details from Bolton’s forthcoming book leaked, including his account of Trump asserting that $391 million in military aid would be withheld until Ukraine announced investigations into the 2016 election and the Bidens. If that seems a tad contrived for either an episode or an impeachment, that is because it is. In responding to a defense built around Trump’s insistence that his call was “perfect,” this leak was perfect to a fault. Perfect timing. Perfect content. It was so perfect that there is little doubt that the Senate is being played.
The leak happened at the exact time that it would inflict the most damage on the defense and throw the trial into disarray. It occurred hours after the White House team gave opening statements that seriously undermined critical points made by the House managers, including the assertions that Trump never previously raised corruption in other countries or that this type of hold on aid was uncommon. It felt like the sudden discovery of a gun near the victim at the scene of a police shooting.
That does not mean the leak will not succeed. The disclosure about Bolton’s book could well make the difference in securing the four Republican votes needed to obtain witnesses. But it could also succeed too well if it leads senators to plunge into the unknown of calling witnesses such as former vice president Joe Biden or his son Hunter. There are already indications that the leak may have secured the four votes for witnesses, while even Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) has said the Senate may need to subpoena the book draft itself.
The fact is that the story remains damaging on its face. It reaffirms not just that Bolton has relevant evidence but also that his testimony could significantly strengthen the nexus between the demand for investigations and the hold on aid. It could contradict statements made by Trump and cited by his legal team angrily denying any such connection. It would also change the account of Bolton denouncing the “drug deal” being “cooked up” by Rudolph W. Giuliani and, for the first time, make Trump the chef in chief.AD
As damaging as that leak may prove, though, it is not on its face devastating for the defense. The leak falls short of answering key questions that would likely have to be pursued in testimony. For example, Trump allegedly told Bolton that he wanted to “continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens,” the New York Times reported.
That still leaves the question of intent. Trump has never denied asking for the investigations, but insisted that they were meant to deal with his concerns over ongoing corruption in Ukraine. Moreover, the first of the two investigations could not be a basis for impeachment. Trump asked for assistance in investigating allegations into the 2016 election — matters that were currently being investigated by U.S. Attorney John Durham. It is the Biden investigation that raises legitimate questions, but it comes down again to a question of intent. Finally, the leak refers to the freeze on the funds but does not indicate that Trump was prepared to hold the aid past the deadline at the end of September. (It was released on September 11th.).
The suspicions over the timing of the leak are magnified by the fact that Bolton could have been subpoenaed by the House and compelled to testify. Bolton has hardly been subtle about his knowledge or desire to testify. Indeed, he has been virtually wearing a sandwich board reading “Subpoena me” outside the Capitol for months. When the House refused to issue such a subpoena, Bolton continued to tease his knowledge, including a tweet reading, “For the backstory, stay tuned…….. .”
Despite the earlier failure to call Bolton or subpoena his book, the House built up expectations with veiled references to a leak or “gotcha” story to pressure senators to allow witnesses. We didn’t have to wait for the book and indeed we did not have to wait long all — just for the start of the defense case.
Bolton’s attorney has denied the reporting of the Times that Bolton circulated the draft for weeks among “close associates.” He instead blamed the “corrupted” process of preclearance review at the White House. Whoever it was, the leak was delivered with lethal effect.
Still, it may prove too clever by half. The manipulation of the trial with a carefully placed leak will not sit well with some senators. Senators play others; they do not like to be played. The leak makes it more difficult for key senators (who were moving away from voting for witnesses) to bring the trial to an early close.AD
However, it also makes it less likely that senators will be inclined to support the Democrats in their effort to block witnesses sought by the White House team, including not just Hunter Biden but possibly the whistleblower. In other words, the fallback position for some senators would be a mutually assured destruction option: allow both sides to lay waste to each other and leave it to the public to pick through the ruins.
Jonathan Turley is the chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and served as the last lead counsel in an impeachment trial before the Senate in defense of Judge Thomas Porteous. He also serves as legal analyst for both CBS and BBC.
The problem with Bolton is that he is a habitual liar. He’s often made claims that weren’t backed up. Remember that he couldn’t be confirmed by the Senate as a permanent ambassador to the UN because of his unreliability. The man is an opportunist, a hawk who wasn’t willing to go to war himself when the US was fighting a war he says he supported. (He joined the National Guard to avoid being drafter. Incidentally, by the time he was eligible for the draft and had gone to the number system, the US was pulling out of Vietnam and it’s unlikely he would have seen combat.) In short, he can’t be trusted to tell the truth about anything. Since the NSC has said his book contains classified information up to and including Top Secret, it will probably never see the light of day. Yes, his lawyer maintains there is no classified information but attorneys aren’t cleared to access classified information and his attorney wouldn’t know.
All good points. An established reputation for dishonesty tends to predict future behavior. Which means it was a bad decision to allow Bolton access to anything.
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. You’re calling Bolton a liar, claiming he has “an established reputation for dishonesty”? Trump’s the biggest pathological liar in US History. I agree that it is reasonable to predict that Trump will keep on lying. Not only that, if the Republican Senators let him get away with soliciting election help from foreign governments, lying about it, leveraging Congressional appropriations for political gain, refusing to cooperate with Congressional oversight, he’ll keep doing these things, too.
What about all of the praise heaped on Bolton when Trump took him on? The minute anyone has anything to say that hurts Trump, he turns on them like the snake in Aesop’s Fables. Just ask Michael Cohen.
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. You’re calling Bolton a liar, claiming he has “an established reputation for dishonesty”?
No, Bolton was central in establishing his reputation for dishonesty. If you don’t believe that, then here are his own words.
“Do you really believe that?” Napolitano responded. “You would lie in order to preserve the truth?”
“Absolutely,” Bolton said. “If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security, I would do it.”
Why did Trump hire him?
SteveJ – there are some people who are positing that Trump hired Bolton to scare North Korea.
Bolton was a huge mistake and he was warned.
Some of us decried it immediately like me, right here on this comment area. Benson prolly bookmarked it, eh?
i don’t understand why people think it was bad to join the NG. The NG is a part of the nation’s armed forces. The volunteers have over the past couple decades seen quite a bit of combat. I have friends who were in the NG recently and a ways back. There was nothing dishonorable in that.
Now Bolton has about a thousand other bad things to say about him besides that.
Interesting video of John Bolton’s view of the subject located just below Trump’s statement “GAME OVER”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1222655839573565440&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bizpacreview.com%2F2020%2F01%2F30%2Fgame-over-trump-tweets-video-of-bolton-praising-his-very-warm-and-cordial-zelensky-calls-881011
KEY PARAGRAPH FROM COLUMN
It reaffirms not just that Bolton has relevant evidence but also that his testimony could significantly strengthen the nexus between the demand for investigations and the hold on aid. It could contradict statements made by Trump and cited by his legal team angrily denying any such connection. It would also change the account of Bolton denouncing the “drug deal” being “cooked up” by Rudolph W. Giuliani and, for the first time, make Trump the chef in chief.
……………………………………………………………
It is interesting that Professor Turley could acknowledge all these points while denouncing the leak as “too perfect” of a Perry Mason moment.
Republicans have only themselves to blame for this leak. They were nakedly arrogant to declare their intentions of a quicky aquittal before proceedings had even begun. By being so contemptuous, Republicans dared opponents to contrive a surprise.
One could argue that if Trump’s case is so strong, this Perry Mason moment should be nothing more than a blip. It wont be, though. At this point a quicky acquittal will look like a farce to everyone outside the rightwing bubble.
It is interesting that Professor Turley could acknowledge all these points while denouncing the leak as “too perfect” of a Perry Mason moment.
______________________________________________
Anybody who doesn’t think it is “too perfect” is likely not looking at honestly.
________________________________________________
At this point a quicky acquittal will look like a farce to everyone outside the rightwing bubble.
_________________________________________________
That depends on whether anybody else is paying attention…
If the popular divide remains at 50/50 they will proceed without witnesses. If this swings it against trump the witnesses will step forward and provide the evidence that will swing the divide back to 50:50
There are a lot more questions to answer before bothering with Bolton starting with getting the accusers subpoened to face the accused.
I read all your posts and I’m always left stunned that your words typically fall on deaf ears. How has this country become so irreversibly hyper-partisan that logic and truth no longer have a place in our “modern” society? Thank you for fighting the good fight, even if your message seems to be evaporating into the ether. Here’s to hoping for the day when the voices of reason will be able to drown out the voices of bias and fear.
I think even the senators clamoring for Bolton’s testimony will be relieved if/when the trial ends tomorrow.
There would be demands for a parade of witnesses if Bolton testifies, and it’s unlikely that any senator looks forward to a trial that continues for weeks.
The question in the headline answers itself.
Prof Turley acts as though there is/was a doubt about whether Trump attempted to extort a statement from Zelensky that Ukraine would investigate the Bidens. Anyone who has paid attention to what has been going on knows that there has been – since the whistleblower’s letter surfaced – clear evidence that Trump did it.
Even if he did, so what??? If the Bidens do not wish to be the subject of foreign investigations, then they should have committed their corrupt acts in the good ole USA! Why didn’t Joe get Hunter a do-nothing highly paid job on Exxon’s BOD or Apple???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Bolton’s attorney has denied the reporting of the Times that Bolton circulated the draft for weeks among “close associates.” He instead blamed the “corrupted” process of preclearance review at the White House.
_______________________________________________
Well of course the leak came from the White House.
How many times are we expected to fall for this same old con?
Over and Over and Over a leak comes from the WH that the NYT or WAPO or NPR (etc) report as a BREAKING NEWS and a BOMBSHELL and then all the usual suspects pronounce that we are at a “turning point” and “the walls are closing in” and “its the beginning of the end” this is “the tipping point” on and on and on.
And then a week, or month or year later we find out its all a big nothing burger.
Here is a better link illustrating this little dance between WH leaks and the MSM BOMBSHELL anouncements.
i think the video that was released yesterday of Bolton praising the president and the phone call should have Bolton’s alleged manuscript statements circling the drain.
Plus, there needs to be an article here about this. Chilling!
—————–
Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday proposed imposing criminal and civil penalties on those who spread false information online aimed at suppressing votes in U.S. elections.
The Massachusetts senator released a plan that would “create civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating false information about when and how to vote in U.S. elections” as well as hold tech companies accountable after the spread of online misinformation in the wake of the 2016 election cycle.
“I will push for new laws that impose tough civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating this kind of information, which has the explicit purpose of undermining the basic right to vote,” Warren said in a statement. She added on Twitter that President Trump has “invited” disinformation and online foreign interference, which “erode our democracy.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/warren-pushes-criminal-penalties-for-posting-voting-disinformation-online/
——————-
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
It’s Constitutionally DOA.
True, but this is where things are headed. In France, I read a guy got jail time for saying the country had been invaded. The groundwork is being laid for that sort of crap here.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
That’s true but the judiciary are pretty much First Amendment absolutists. Used to be the thing conservatives and libs both agreed upon.
“The leak happened at the exact time that it would inflict the most damage on the defense”
________________________________________________
If Bolton leak leads to witnesses and those witnesses exonerate Trump that statement is going to be looked at in retrospect as pretty damn stupid (and extremely biased).
Quoting Olly below, when exactly did John Bolton’s mouth become a prayer book???
““Do you really believe that?” Napolitano responded. “You would lie in order to preserve the truth?”
“Absolutely,” Bolton said. “If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security, I would do it.”
Sooo, the question becomes, if Bolton said “Trump done it! He really did! It was all about Biden and 2020!” – is Bolton telling the truth, or does he think Trump is a danger to American national security, and is thus lying?
Or conversely, if Bolton said, “BS! Trump was worried about corruption and burden sharing! Schiff is full of “schiff”! – Bolton telling the truth, or does he think removing Trump is a danger to national security, and thus lying?
The whole point of this crap is Democratic Party theatrics. If they can claim the Trial is unfair, then the Dem senators in Red States can argue they voted against the “process” not for impeachment.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
The Democrats know at the end of the day, that the Senate will not convict Trump. They knew this before they ever drafted the first article of impeachment. I believe the strategy is to make the Senate the bad guys, and hopefully that will flip the Senate to the Democrats, and if they can hold the majority in the House, then Trump will be effectively neutered in his second term, most especially when it comes to Supreme Court appointments.
Exactly right. The impeachment was DOA, and that is why the Schiff Mob started hollering about a “fair trial” right away. To make their loss a matter of fairness, not that they had a case that required mind-reading and inferences to find guilt.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Precisely. It’s a play that has exposed the House majority as the sinister, political, power-mongering bullies that they are. They completely whiffed on their responsibility to conduct a thorough impeachment inquiry. Their cries for a fair process and need for witnesses is stunningly amateurish and narcissistic. Not only will the Senate not get flipped, I would be surprised if McConnell’s majority doesn’t increase. If that happens, then Pelosi’s House majority will be on the clock and President Trump will win reelection.
We need to discuss leaks and leakers. Men do it differently than women. But basically it is stand up sit down fight fight fight. One must first lean to the left or lean to the right. If someone sings the lyrics then you will recall them. People who leak in private are deemed acceptable and people who leak in public are condemned. A whistle blower is one with high status and the name Whistlblower gives on protection. Congress put that name in writing. So whoever this guy is who peed is still in secret. We need to call him as a witness in a court of law, not Congress, and ask some questions. If he has peed on someone then we should know why.
Lean to the left!
Lean to the Right!
Stand up, sit down! Fight Fight Fight!
http://eagleonetowanta.com WILL WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY PAY IN FULL ALL LAWFUL NATIONAL DEBT OBLIGATIONS HAS MANDATED BY THE LAST DULY ELECTED U.S. PRESIDENT RONALD WILSON REAGAN TO SECRET AGENT LEO EMIL WANTA UNDER THE TOTTEN DOCTRINE 105, 107 …. THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY CARING FOR OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC _ AMERICA …….
Of course this was scripted! Why do you think Schiff has been screaming for Bolton to testify all this time. This pic says it all:
https://www.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/EPbJ9z9XkAEotfN.jpg?
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
🙂
Another conspiracy from the right wing nut job crowd? If Bolton’s manuscript leak occurred during the House proceedings, where would trump cultists on the GOP hide? Was it too perfect that the House didn’t get any documents from the White House? Was it too perfect that trump wouldn’t allow anyone in his cult administration to testify? Was it too perfect that trump illegally held aid from Ukraine immediately after Biden entered the race. Come on, get off the conspiracy bandwagon and let the pizzagate, Qanon crowd wallow in their delusional fantasies. People such as you are counted on to see reality and not be part of the conspiracy of dunces.
And you write, ‘allegations into the 2016 election’. Yes,trump wanted to keep looking into all allegations that that had been discredited by ALL the intelligence agencies about some c putin spew crowdstrike and Ukraine interference into the election. Arte you now a putin parrot as well? Why didn’t your trump look into or acknowledge that his pal putin was the ring leader in election propaganda and meddling that allowed trump to get elected narrowly? SAD!
You ignore the fact that your trump has lied more than 16,000 times in three years. How much faith do you put into the words of a habitual liar in thief?
If you think that the obvious deep state coup attempt against Trump, openly orchestrated by CIA alumni and staff, is anything on the low and weak level of the qanon thing or pizzagate, then you are kidding yourself. but go on ahead Lloyd
If you think that the obvious deep state coup attempt against Trump, openly orchestrated by CIA alumni and staff, is anything on the low and weak level of the qanon thing or pizzagate,
__________________________________________
It is obviously intended to look like a deep state coup attempt
but
it is equally obvious that it will get Trump reelected. Everybody but the true believer Democrats can see how bungled this impeachment is.
That should make you very suspicious. You have to be really naive to believe the deep state doesn’t have real Dirt on trump that could be effectively used if that is what they wanted to do.
This guy goes from spaced out to semi-lucid. It’s fun watching people flying high.
So we have Clapper stating he didn’t wittingly lie to Congress. Bolton on the other hand freely admits he believes it’s his duty to lie when he believes it’s necessary. Yeah, that’s a credible witness…not.
“I want to make the case for secrecy in government when it comes to the conduct of national security affairs and possibly for deception where it’s appropriate,” Bolton responded. He then approvingly quoted Winston Churchill’s assertion that “truth is so important it should be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies.”
“Do you really believe that?” Napolitano responded. “You would lie in order to preserve the truth?”
“Absolutely,” Bolton said. “If I had to say something I knew was false to protect American national security, I would do it.”
“Why do people in the government think that the rules of civil society or the laws don’t apply to them?” Napolitano countered.
“Because they are not dealing in the civil society we live in under the Constitution,” Bolton said. “They are dealing in an anarchic environment internationally where different rules apply.”
“But you took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and the Constitution mandates certain openness and certain fairness,” Napolitano countered. “You’re willing to do away with that in order to achieve a temporary military goal?”
“The Constitution is not a suicide pact,” Bolton responded, quoting former Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/29/in-2010-fox-interview-john-bolton-confessed-he-would-absolutely-lie-about-national-security-matters/?utm_source=The+Federalist+List&utm_campaign=018df4744c-RSS_The_Federalist_Daily_Updates_w_Transom&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cfcb868ceb-018df4744c-79248369
Bolton was sent a nice missive by the NSC saying your book is full of Secret, Confidential and Top Secret stuff. 2 days later comes a supposed leak from unnamed sources who do not quote the book.
However, I did hear last night that McConnell has enough votes to acquit.
Did the leak itself violate laws?
As an ordinary American – bound by countless laws – I resent the cavalier way Washington insiders handle the rule of law.
We Americans commit three felonies a day (see the book of that name) and live at prosecutors’ sufferance. We dare not speak to cops (if we are smart) because of the possible pitfalls.
And our public servants in washington break laws with perfect immunity!