EXPLOSIVE

Bolton Book Says Trump Held Up Ukraine Aid Over Biden Investigations: NYT

The former national security adviser’s lawyer criticized the leak of the unpublished manuscript.

President Trump tied military aid to Ukraine to investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, former National Security Adviser John Bolton writes in an unpublished manuscript, according to The New York Times. The manuscript offers a look at Bolton might say if called to testify in the president’s impeachment trial, the Times reports. The former national security adviser has offered to testify if subpoenaed, over the White House’s objections. According to the Times, Bolton also writes in the manuscript that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believed the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani could have been working in Ukraine for clients other than Trump. Bolton also reportedly writes that Pompeo said privately that Giuliani’s allegations that the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine was corrupt were unfounded.

In a statement after the Times report was published, Bolton’s lawyer Charles Cooper criticized the leak of the manuscript, saying it was submitted to the White House for review on Dec. 30 “on the assurance” it would “not be reviewed or otherwise disclosed to any persons not involved in that process.” “It is clear, regrettably, from the The New York Times article published today that the prepublication process has been corrupted and that information has been disclosed by persons other than those properly involved in reviewing the manuscript,” he said.

Late Sunday, Trump took to Twitter to deny he told Bolton that Ukraine aid was tied to the Biden investigations. “If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book,” the president tweeted.