Schiff: House Intelligence Committee ‘considering’ Bolton subpoena

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the committee is considering subpoenaing former national security adviser John Bolton as impeachment moves to the Senate. 

Schiff said on CBS’s “Face The Nation” that bringing Bolton in for testimony in the lower chamber is an option but added that there is “little sense” in having Bolton testify in front of the House but not the Senate.

“If they’re going to be the triers, and in fact they will be, they should hear from the witness directly. He has offered to come forward and testify,” he said. “There is no reason not to have him come forward and testify unless you just want to cover up the president’s wrongdoing.”

NEWS: .@RepAdamSchiff tells @margbrennan that the House Intelligence committee is “considering” subpoenaing John Bolton, who has previously said he would testify if subpoenaed in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/pUkXGLqdoh

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 12, 2020

Schiff said the U.S. will see a “fair trial” for the president and the American people. He added that if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is successful in stopping other witnesses from testifying, the trial would be a “sham” and a “cover-up.”

“And I think one of the things that holding on to the articles has succeeded doing is fleshing out McConnell and the president’s desire to make this a cover-up,” he said.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told ABC’s “This Week” that it was a possibility the House would subpoena Bolton or submit new articles of impeachment but added, “Let’s just see what the Senate does.”

{mosads}Schiff’s and Pelosi’s comments come after Bolton expressed a willingness to testify in front of the Senate if subpoenaed. McConnell has argued against agreeing to have witnesses and additional documentation in the Senate trial before hearing opening statements.

The House impeached the president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress last month, moving the matter to a Senate trial. But Pelosi has not sent the articles to the upper chamber yet.

The Speaker said she would withhold the articles until she learns the Senate’s rules for President Trump’s trial but has indicated she will pass them along as early as this week.