The White House has told former national security adviser John Bolton not to publish his upcoming tell-all about his time in the Trump administration until classified material is removed from the manuscript.
“Under federal law and the nondisclosure agreements your client signed as a condition for gaining access to classified information, the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information,” Ellen J. Knight, a National Security Council aide, wrote in a letter to Bolton attorney Charles J. Cooper last week, which was obtained by Fox News.
Letter from @WHNSC to @AmbJohnBolton attorney on problems with information contained in his manuscript. pic.twitter.com/OnMcBjUYie
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) January 29, 2020
Bolton’s book has disrupted President Trump’s impeachment trial. The New York Times reported that Bolton’s draft manuscript includes a claim that Trump explicitly linked a hold on Ukraine aid to an investigation of Joe and Hunter Biden – a central part of the case against Trump.
Democrats have used the revelation about the book to renew calls for Bolton’s testimony.
On Wednesday afternoon, Bolton’s attorney Cooper released a statement and a copy of an email response to the NSC’s letter.
“My email response speaks for itself, but it is important to note that I have received no response whatever to my urgent request for the NSC’s immediate guidance as to any concerns it may have with respect to the chapter of the manuscript dealing with Ambassador Bolton’s involvement in matters relating to Ukraine,” Cooper said. – READ MORE