Schiff: ‘Pretty Clear’ Bolton’s Book Has ‘a Lot to Do’ with His Refusal to Testify

During Tuesday’s “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) sounded off on the The New York Times reporting a transcript of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s upcoming book claims President Donald Trump wanted to withhold aid to Ukraine until it investigated former Vice President Joe Biden.

Schiff said his committee “would have loved” for Bolton to testify during the House’s impeachment investigation but he “refused,” adding it is “pretty clear” now why Bolton would not testify.

“[W]e would have loved to have John Bolton testify,” Schiff told MSNBC’s Willie Geist. “Of course, we invited him to testify and he refused. We always begin by inviting people to come in voluntarily. Many witnesses wanted subpoenas, and then we would subpoena, they would come in and testify. But Bolton’s lawyers said if we subpoenaed him, he would sue us and we would be tied up in courts, we knew, for months or years if we did, just as we’re tied up in courts with Don McGahn. That didn’t seem to be a good remedy when we’re talking about a president trying to cheat in the next election.”

He continued, “I have to say it is vexing that he would refuse to come before the House because he claimed he needed basically a court blessing that he could do it, but now he can come before the Senate. Now, he will have to answer questions about that. You know, why is it that only now he is willing to come forward? I think it is pretty clear that the book has a lot to do with this. But, you know, whatever his motivation was for not coming before the House and now being willing to come before the Senate, at the end of the day what really matters is that the American people get to hear the full truth.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent