ABSOLUTE POWER

Trump Seeks to Dismiss Lawsuit From Bolton Aide on Impeachment Subpoena

Trump argues that he has absolute power to decide whether his advisers can testify in the filing.

President Trump has sought to have a judge dismiss a lawsuit filed by an aide to former national security adviser John Bolton who is seeking a ruling on whether he should comply with a congressional subpoena to testify in the impeachment inquiry. The president’s filing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., argues that he has absolute power to decide whether his advisers, including Dr. Charles Kupperman, can testify. “Although Dr. Kupperman claims that he needs this Court’s guidance as to whether he should comply with the House’s attempt to subpoena his testimony, he already knows the answer,” Trump’s attorneys wrote. “He should follow the directive of his former employer (the President) to not testify pursuant to the President’s invocation of Dr. Kupperman’s absolute immunity from testimonial compulsion.” The filing argues that the “proper course” would be for Kupperman, Bolton’s former deputy, to comply with Trump’s stance that his administration should not cooperate with the impeachment process, rather than whatever a judge determines.