US impeachment investigators want Bolton to testify

US impeachment investigators want Bolton to testify
October 28, 2019, 9:34 am

Bolton, who resigned last month, was reported to have expressed alarm over secret administration efforts to pressure Ukraine. (File photo AP)

The leader of the US impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump said Sunday he wants former national security adviser John Bolton to testify but acknowledged the White House was likely to fight it.

Bolton, who resigned last month, was reported to have expressed alarm over secret administration efforts to pressure Ukraine, acidly referring to it as a “drug deal.”

House investigators are looking into whether Trump abused power by withholding military aid to Ukraine to get it to launch investigations that would benefit him politically.

Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the impeachment investigation, said Bolton “is a very important witness.”

“We already know from the testimony of others that this was someone that was concerned that people in the State Department (...) were cooking up a ‘drug deal,’ and by that he meant a corrupt deal,” Schiff said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“Obviously, he has very relevant information and we do want him to come in to testify,” he said.

So far witnesses have been interviewed behind closed doors, drawing fire from Republicans who charge the process is unfair.

Schiff, who heads one of three committees investigating Trump, said he thought the panels will be moving soon to hold public hearings.

“I don’t want to give precise timing because, in part, we are struggling with the White House’s continuing effort to obstruct our investigation, to obstruct our witnesses coming in,” he said.

“My guess is that they are gonna fight us having John Bolton in, for example.”

source:AFP

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