Dem Congressman Reveals Bolton Dropped a Dime on Trump Months Ago: He Told Me to Look Into Yovanovtich Ouster

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A Democratic Congressman has come forward to say that former National Security Advisor John Bolton alerted him, months ago, to the potential of improper conduct by President Donald Trump on the Ukraine matter.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) contradicted the president’s argument that Bolton’s comments on Ukraine should be taken with a grain of salt because he did not speak up at the time. Engel said that he spoke privately with Bolton on Sept. 23, right after Bolton left his post as NSA. The congressman said Bolton recommended that the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on which Engel sits, should look into the ouster of former Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch.

“Ambassador Bolton suggested to me — unprompted — that the committee look into the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch,” Engel said. “He strongly implied that something improper had occurred.”

The congressman added, “Ambassador Bolton has made clear over the last few months that he has more to say on this issue. And now that the President has called his credibility into question, it’s important to set the record straight.”

Here’s Engel’s statement in full:

“President Trump is wrong that John Bolton didn’t say anything about the Trump-Ukraine Scandal at the time the President fired him. He said something to me.

“On September 19,, shortly after Ambassador Bolton’s departure as national security advisor, my staff reached out to him at my request. I’ve known Ambassador Bolton for years; we have a cordial and respectful relationship and I wanted to thank him for his service. I also wanted to ask if he would talk to the Foreign Affairs Committee, as former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did, to aid our general oversight efforts of U.S. foreign policy.

“He and I spoke by telephone on September 23. On that call, Ambassador Bolton suggested to me–unprompted–that the committee look into the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. He strongly implied that something improper had occurred around her removal as our top diplomat in Kyiv.

“At the time, I said nothing publicly about what was a private conversation, but because this detail was relevant to the Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight Committees’ investigation into this matter, I informed my investigative colleagues. It was one of the reasons we wished to hear from Ambassador Bolton, under oath, in a formal setting.

“Ambassador Bolton has made clear over the last few months that he has more to say on this issue. And now that the President has called his credibility into question, it’s important to set the record straight.

“It’s telling that, of all people, John Bolton is now the target of right-wing ire. It underscores just how important it is that the Senate subpoena Ambassador Bolton as a witness.”