Former National Security Adviser John Bolton reportedly directed the State Department to release $141 million in military to Ukraine several days before President Donald Trump claims he himself had authorized the aid’s release.
Bloomberg reported on Saturday that though Trump claims he had unfrozen funds for the aid on September 11 after Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) had begged for him to do so that day, the State Department had already quietly released the aid on Bolton’s orders several days prior. Bloomberg could not verify whether Trump had signed off on Bolton’s directive.
The department reportedly released the aid after White House lawyers found that Trump and the Office of Management and Budget could not legally delay it, a finding the lawyers had made earlier in 2019. According to Bloomberg, the lawyers detailed the finding in a classified memo to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
An unnamed source told Bloomberg that White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was blindsided by Bolton’s order.
A spokesperson for the OMB told Bloomberg that Bolton lacked the authority to issue such an order and had not done so.
So Bolton was fired on Sept 10th and Trump claimed he released the funds on the 11th.
I think I know why Bolton was fired.
Apparently, everyone in the WH besides Mulvaney and Trump himself realised that Trump was guilty of extortion and struggled to mitigate it right after Schiff announced the WB complaint. Was that on Sept. 7th? Bolton supposedly released the funds on Sept. 9th.
Bolton attempted to take a playing chip off the table. Bold move actually.
Say the magic word and win a hundred dollars.