Former national security adviser John Bolton
John BoltonTrump offered North Korea's Kim a ride home on Air Force One: report Key impeachment figure Pence sticks to sidelines Bolton lawyer: Trump impeachment trial is constitutional MORE reportedly claims in his as yet unpublished memoir that President Trump
Donald TrumpTrump State Department appointee arrested in connection with Capitol riot Intelligence community investigating links between lawmakers, Capitol rioters Michelle Obama slams 'partisan actions' to 'curtail access to ballot box' MORE sought to tie hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Ukraine to his requests for the country's leaders to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden
Joe BidenTrump State Department appointee arrested in connection with Capitol riot FireEye finds evidence Chinese hackers exploited Microsoft email app flaw since January Biden officials to travel to border amid influx of young migrants MORE and his son Hunter Biden.
Multiple sources familiar with Bolton's book told The New York Times that he writes that President Trump personally told him that $391 million in aid to Ukraine should be frozen until Ukrainian officials announced the investigations, including one into the Democratic National Committee.
The book, which does not have a publication date as of yet, has been submitted to the White House for review. White House officials did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill on the report.
An attorney for President Trump, Rudy Giuliani
Rudy GiulianiThe Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Lawmakers face Capitol threat as senators line up votes for relief bill Giuliani again suspended from YouTube over false election claims Sacha Baron Cohen calls out 'danger of lies, hate and conspiracies' in Golden Globes speech MORE, responded in a statement obtained by ABC News: "I used to like and respect John, and tell people they were wrong about how irresponsible he was. I was wrong."
"He never once expressed concern to me. If he had confronted me, I could have explained it to him.....He wasn’t man enough to just ask and instead makes false and irresponsible barges to write a book about his failed career."
Giuliani reacts to Bolton report in the Times - telling me via text: "I used to like and respect John [Bolton] and tell people they were wrong about how irresponsible he was. I was wrong." More @ABC
— John Santucci (@Santucci) January 27, 2020
More from Rudy - "He [Bolton] never once expressed concern to me. If he had confronted me, I could have explained it to him.....He [Bolton] wasn’t man enough to just ask and instead makes false and irresponsible barges to write a book about his failed career." https://t.co/2xjRyuH82n
— John Santucci (@Santucci) January 27, 2020
The report comes as the Senate has debated for days over whether to allow witnesses in Trump's ongoing impeachment trial beyond those who spoke to House investigators in past months.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerRon Johnson forces reading of 628-page Senate coronavirus relief bill on floor Senate panel splits along party lines on Becerra House Democrats' ambitious agenda set to run into Senate blockade MORE (D-N.Y.), who has pressed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellRon Johnson grinds Senate to halt, irritating many Klain on Harris breaking tie: 'Every time she votes, we win' How to pass legislation in the Senate without eliminating the filibuster MORE (R-Ky.) to allow such witnesses to testify, reiterated his demand following news of Bolton's allegations.
"John Bolton has the evidence," he tweeted. "It’s up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney
Mick MulvaneyOMB nominee gets hearing on Feb. 9 Republicans now 'shocked, shocked' that there's a deficit Financial firms brace for Biden's consumer agency chief MORE, and the others with direct knowledge of President Trump’s actions testify in the Senate trial."
John Bolton has the evidence.
— Chuck Schumer
It’s up to four Senate Republicans to ensure that John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and the others with direct knowledge of President Trump’s actions testify in the Senate trial.https://t.co/JbazBaYdRU
Bolton's lawyer confirmed the authenticity of the Times's report in a tweet, writing that he regretted that excerpts had been leaked during the classification and review process.
Bolton lawyer statement: pic.twitter.com/W7oJlLr5pt
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) January 27, 2020
Bolton left the White House last year, with the president and his former aide disagreeing publicly at the time over whether he had been fired or resigned. The claim in his upcoming book revealed Sunday directly contradicts statements from Trump and other administration officials who have denied that aid to Ukraine was ever tied to the president's efforts to convince Ukraine's president to open investigations.
