Republicans in Trump impeachment trial face new pressure over Bolton book
January 28, 2020, 11:53 am

Republicans in Trump impeachment trial face new pressure over Bolton book

In this image from video, Robert Ray, an attorney for President Donald Trump, walks to the podium to speak during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the US Capitol in Washington, on January 27, 2020. (Senate Television via AP)

President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the US Senate came under renewed pressure on Monday to allow witnesses in his impeachment trial, while his defense team ignored new disclosures from a former top White House adviser.

The elephant in the room on Day 2 of Trump’s defense arguments was John Bolton, the former national security adviser whose unpublished book manuscript, according to the New York Times, included disclosures that go to the heart of the impeachment charges against Trump.

Bolton wrote that Trump told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kyiv helped with investigations into Democrats, including political rival Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden, the Times reported.

The Bolton disclosures prompted new calls by Democrats for Bolton and other witnesses to testify. Trump is accused of abusing the power of his office in seeking foreign interference in a US election and of obstructing Congress.

Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a moderate who has at times criticized Trump, said there was a growing likelihood that at least four Republican senators would choose to call Bolton to testify, which would give Democrats the votes necessary in the Republican-led Senate to summon him.

The Senate may resolve the issue of whether to call witnesses in a vote on Friday or Saturday. Democrats said the Bolton manuscript made it all the more pressing for the Senate to call Bolton as a witness.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Trump last month, setting up the trial in the Republican-led Senate on whether he should be removed from office. Trump is expected to be acquitted in the 100-seat chamber, where Republicans hold 53 seats.

Senate Republicans have so far refused to allow any witnesses or new evidence in the trial. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a record of standing his ground as battles intensify, such as the current fight over Bolton’s testimony.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz, a staunch Trump defender, said nothing had changed his view that the entire process is a sham.

“I don’t know what John Bolton’s book says or doesn’t say, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t impact the legal issue before the Senate,” Cruz told reporters.

Trump’s legal team on Monday resumed its presentation of opening arguments in the trial, including remarks by Ken Starr, the former independent counsel whose investigation into a sex scandal paved the way for the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. Another Trump lawyer, Jane Raskin, defended his attorney Rudy Giuliani.

Bolton’s name was not mentioned. In an apparent reference to the manuscript leak, Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said: “We deal with publicly available information. We do not deal with speculation, allegations that are not based on evidentiary standards at all.”

Instead, defense lawyers turned to Joe Biden, one of Trump’s leading Democratic rivals as he seeks re-election in November, and Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was US vice president.

Attorney Pam Bondi defended Trump’s use of unsupported corruption allegations against the Bidens as the basis for his demand that Ukraine investigates them.

She presented a series of media reports, Ukrainian gas company records, and excerpts from impeachment inquiry testimony in an attempt to demonstrate that a range of independent observers was concerned that Hunter Biden’s role posed a potential conflict of interest.

“They all thought there was cause to raise the issue about the Bidens and Burisma,” Bondi said. “All we are saying is that there was a basis to talk about this, to raise this issue, and that is enough.”

Ukrainian officials have said they found no indication that Hunter Biden had broken any law. Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates on Monday dismissed Bondi’s allegations, saying they had been widely discredited.

Some of Trump’s strongest Republican backers in Congress have threatened to make the impeachment trial about the Bidens.

Biden himself predicted the attacks, warning voters at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, over the weekend: Turn it on Monday, watch the news. It’s going to be all about Biden.”

Aid for Ukraine

Democrats have said Trump used the aid to a vulnerable ally facing Russian aggression as leverage to get a foreign country to help him smear a domestic political rival.

Trump denied telling Bolton that he sought to use the aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens on unsubstantiated corruption allegations.

“I haven’t seen the manuscript, but I can tell you nothing was ever said to John Bolton,” Trump told reporters.

But moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins said the reports regarding Bolton’s book “strengthen the case for witnesses.”

“We have a witness with firsthand evidence of the president’s actions for which he is on trial. He is ready and willing to testify.

How can Senate Republicans not vote to call that witness and request his documents?” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.

The White House directed current and former administration officials not to provide testimony or documents in the House inquiry. Starr cited ways short of impeachment for the House to force a president to comply with its oversight obligations.

“Go to court. It is as simple as that, I don’t need to belabor the point,” Starr said.

Starr, who himself recommended Clinton’s impeachment after investigating the former president’s sexual relationship with a White House intern, called impeachment an overused tool.

This is only the third presidential impeachment trial in US history.

source: Reuters

Tunisia’s Ennahda rejects new government proposal Republicans to honor US service members responsible for Soleimani’s killing

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.