Rep. Adam Schiff Questions Whether Senators Are ‘Willing To Hear the Truth’ from John Bolton

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) questioned on CNN, Monday, whether senators are “willing to hear the truth” from former national security adviser John Bolton in the Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump following revelations from the draft of his upcoming book.

After being asked by CNN New Day anchor Alisyn Camerota how the “revelations” from Bolton’s book draft “change the Senate trial,” Schiff claimed, “Well, I think very dramatically.”

“But first I should say there is already direct evidence of this link between the $391 million of aid, military aid for Ukraine and the president’s demanding that these political investigations get done. Mick Mulvaney himself admitted that was the case,” continued Schiff. “Gordon Sondland also already testified that he talked to the president, and while the president denied a quid pro quo, during the same investigation he said, ‘But Zelinsky has to go to the mic,’ and essentially announce investigations.”

“This would be another witness that would corroborate in very direct terms, if this report is accurate, that the president told him unequivocally he was holding up the money until Ukraine did these investigations. It completely blasts another hole in the president’s defense,” Schiff explained. “And I think for the senators, and I’m not just talking about the four that have been so much the focus of attention, for every senator, Democrat and Republican, I don’t know how you can explain that you wanted a search for the truth in this trial and say you don’t want to hear from a witness who had a direct conversation about the central allegation in the articles of impeachment.”

“All of these senators on March 17th, when this book comes out, are going to be asked if they don’t support calling him as a witness, why didn’t you want to hear from him when he could have given you information before you rendered your verdict?” he added. “And I would just not want to be in a position of having to answer that question.”

Camerota then asked, “If you’re saying that you already have this direct witness testimony in the form of Mick Mulvaney and Gordon Sondland, how important is John Bolton to Senate the trial now?”

“Well look, our view is the evidence is already overwhelming, but the president has tried…to contest those facts,” Schiff replied. “We made this point in our prebuttal, that is if they seek to contest any of the allegations here, then they are making the argument for additional witnesses. They’re making the argument to call the people we want to call.”

“At the end of the day, Alisyn, this is a test for these senators. They have taken an oath to be impartial. They’ve just learned there’s a key witness going to the heart of the allegations. The question they have to answer is do they want to hear the truth?” Schiff concluded. “Do they want to cross-examine John Bolton? John Bolton, according to the president, is not telling the truth. Well, let’s put John Bolton to the test. He’s willing to do it. The question is are the senators willing to hear the truth.”

Watch above via CNN.

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