MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2020
Sen. Mitt Romney says it’s ‘increasingly apparent’ the Senate should hear from John Bolton
By Thomas Burr
Washington • Sen. Mitt Romney said Monday that it’s increasingly likely more Republicans will vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump after an explosive report highlighted potential testimony of former National Security Adviser John Bolton tying the president directly to leveraging U.S. aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation of political rivals.
Romney, a Utah Republican who has said he wants to hear from Bolton, was responding to a New York Times report that Bolton said Trump wanted to freeze nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine until the country’s leaders announced investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter as well as a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 U.S. election hacking.
Bolton’s assertion would undercut the president’s defense that Trump did not condition delivering the aid to Ukraine on announcements by the country of investigations of the Bidens and the 2016 election hacking that would likely help his reelection.
Romney said Monday it is “increasingly apparently” that it would be important to hear directly from Bolton and “increasingly likely” that other Republicans will want to hear from him.
“I, of course, will make a final decision on witnesses after we've heard from not only the prosecution, but also the defense,” Romney told reporters. “But I think at this stage, it's pretty fair to say that John Bolton has a relevant testimony to provide to those of us who are sitting in impartial justice.”
Democrats have been arguing that the GOP-led Senate needs to allow witnesses to testify and to subpoena documents related to the president’s dealing with Ukraine at the center of the impeachment trial. Republicans, including Romney, shot down multiple requests on the first day of the trial to call certain witnesses and procure documents, though Romney said he would likely support efforts to call witnesses after the opening arguments now taking place.
Romney said he wasn't sure which Republicans might join his support for witnesses — “I have spoken with others who've opined upon this as well,” Romney said. — but at least one other senator signaled a similar position early Monday.
“From the beginning, I’ve said that in fairness to both parties the decision on whether or not to call witnesses should be made after both the House managers and the president’s attorneys have had the opportunity to present their cases,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., said in a statement. “I’ve always said that I was likely to vote to call witnesses, just as I did in the 1999 [Bill] Clinton trial. The reports about John Bolton’s book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues.”
Romney told reporters that he wasn't sure how Bolton's testimony would “ultimately play on a final decision.”
“But it's relevant,” Romney said. “And therefore, I'd like to hear it.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the reports about what Bolton might testify to should boost the pressure on Republicans to vote for allowing witnesses rather than provide a fast-tracked proceeding that didn't look at the facts.
“The eyes of America are upon the Republicans in the Senate,” Schumer said in response to a question by The Salt Lake Tribune. “What Mr. Bolton evidently wrote in his book ... increases the desire of the American people to have a fair trial with witnesses and documents.”
Schumer added that it wasn't pressure by Democrats to call witnesses that Republican should listen to but “pressure from what the American people want, a fair trial. ... Plain and simple.”
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate while Democrats and two independents control 47 seats.
It takes a majority vote in the Senate trial to allow witnesses, meaning four Republican senators would have to break from their party.
The president’s defense team is continuing Monday to present its opening arguments to the Senate after which the trial will move into a phase where Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to ask questions submitted in writing by senators. A vote on witnesses could come Friday.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/01/27/sen-mitt-romney-says-its/
Sen. Mitt Romney says it’s ‘increasingly apparent’ the Senate should hear from John Bolton
By Thomas Burr
Washington • Sen. Mitt Romney said Monday that it’s increasingly likely more Republicans will vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump after an explosive report highlighted potential testimony of former National Security Adviser John Bolton tying the president directly to leveraging U.S. aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation of political rivals.
Romney, a Utah Republican who has said he wants to hear from Bolton, was responding to a New York Times report that Bolton said Trump wanted to freeze nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine until the country’s leaders announced investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter as well as a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 U.S. election hacking.
Bolton’s assertion would undercut the president’s defense that Trump did not condition delivering the aid to Ukraine on announcements by the country of investigations of the Bidens and the 2016 election hacking that would likely help his reelection.
Romney said Monday it is “increasingly apparently” that it would be important to hear directly from Bolton and “increasingly likely” that other Republicans will want to hear from him.
“I, of course, will make a final decision on witnesses after we've heard from not only the prosecution, but also the defense,” Romney told reporters. “But I think at this stage, it's pretty fair to say that John Bolton has a relevant testimony to provide to those of us who are sitting in impartial justice.”
Democrats have been arguing that the GOP-led Senate needs to allow witnesses to testify and to subpoena documents related to the president’s dealing with Ukraine at the center of the impeachment trial. Republicans, including Romney, shot down multiple requests on the first day of the trial to call certain witnesses and procure documents, though Romney said he would likely support efforts to call witnesses after the opening arguments now taking place.
Romney said he wasn't sure which Republicans might join his support for witnesses — “I have spoken with others who've opined upon this as well,” Romney said. — but at least one other senator signaled a similar position early Monday.
“From the beginning, I’ve said that in fairness to both parties the decision on whether or not to call witnesses should be made after both the House managers and the president’s attorneys have had the opportunity to present their cases,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., said in a statement. “I’ve always said that I was likely to vote to call witnesses, just as I did in the 1999 [Bill] Clinton trial. The reports about John Bolton’s book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues.”
Romney told reporters that he wasn't sure how Bolton's testimony would “ultimately play on a final decision.”
“But it's relevant,” Romney said. “And therefore, I'd like to hear it.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the reports about what Bolton might testify to should boost the pressure on Republicans to vote for allowing witnesses rather than provide a fast-tracked proceeding that didn't look at the facts.
“The eyes of America are upon the Republicans in the Senate,” Schumer said in response to a question by The Salt Lake Tribune. “What Mr. Bolton evidently wrote in his book ... increases the desire of the American people to have a fair trial with witnesses and documents.”
Schumer added that it wasn't pressure by Democrats to call witnesses that Republican should listen to but “pressure from what the American people want, a fair trial. ... Plain and simple.”
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate while Democrats and two independents control 47 seats.
It takes a majority vote in the Senate trial to allow witnesses, meaning four Republican senators would have to break from their party.
The president’s defense team is continuing Monday to present its opening arguments to the Senate after which the trial will move into a phase where Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to ask questions submitted in writing by senators. A vote on witnesses could come Friday.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/01/27/sen-mitt-romney-says-its/