John Bolton went around Mick Mulvaney -- and released aid to Ukraine before resigning

[kpete]

From Bloomberg News:

Congressional appropriators were frustrated when their inquiry on Aug. 29 about the status of the State Department funds was greeted by silence. Days passed and on Sept. 9, when they asked again, the State Department’s Legislative Affairs office told them there was no hold on the $141 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.

What they didn’t know, according to one of the people, was that shortly before Sept. 9, Bolton had relayed a message to the State Department that the funding could go ahead. It’s not clear whether Bolton, who resigned from the job a week later, did so with Trump’s approval.

Bolton’s handling of the funding struck officials in the White House as violating protocol and caught Mulvaney by surprise, according to another person familiar with the matter.

That may explain a cryptic letter that Bolton’s lawyer sent to Congress on Friday saying the former national security adviser has “new details” about the Ukraine matter that they don’t know about, without elaborating. Bolton has declined to testify against White House orders unless a judge rules he should and didn’t respond to multiple emails seeking comment.

MORE:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-09/state-department-freed-ukraine-money-before-trump-says-he-did?srnd=premium

Link to tweet

[Pachamama]

1. If Bolton did this - that's awesome and explains why the White House hated him when he resigned

And he has a whole lot to tell about Trump and Mulvaney

[Blue_true]

7. I really hope that Bolton's patriotism comes through. He is a really fucked up patriot, but he is

one none the less. The best thing he could do for the country right now is bury the Orange Asshole.

[Skittles]

16. OK that is REALLY going too far in praise

Bolton is a piece of warmongering SHIT.

[Blue_true]

17. He is a warmongering POS, but he has always done it under the guise that it is in the country's

interests. That is one reason that I called him a really fucked up patriot. A sane patriot would realize that war often isn't in our best interests (there are rare exceptions).

[Skittles]

18. he is not ANY kind of patriot

Last edited Sun Nov 10, 2019, 07:18 PM - Edit history (1)

he's a self-serving, warmongering rightwing asshole

Link to tweet

[OnDoutside]

21. +1

[Volaris]

25. True...but I'm concerned at the idea that he can just decide, of his own volition,

To just go ahead n do.. well, whatever the hell he wants, and fuck the person in charge.

If theres no functional chain of command, that's REAL BAD.

What if Bolton had decided some other 'action' were warranted, on some other 'issue'?

[klook]

2. Wow, to make John Bolton look like a knight in shining armor

takes some doing.

[NCLefty]

6. All we're saying is he might have done the right thing once--Let's not break out the armor yet :p

[klook]

10. Heh, true dat. (nt)

[uponit7771]

22. 👍🏼

[The_jackalope]

3. Wow! a lot of things make more sense now.

I was wondering how the aid got released. There's been a bit of a fog around that, which now seems to have cleared.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. Yes. But thought I read that trump released it when

He got wind of a whistleblower being out there. Which would be hard to prove or circumstantial anyway.

The irony is that they are using the fact that Ukraine eventually got their money without soiling the Bidens as a basic tenet in their defense. So does that mean Bolton inadvertently help MF45?

[OnDoutside]

19. That's the narrative I understood too. This changes things completely

if true. It explains why the quick Bolton departure came about. It piles the pressure on Mulvanney too, which is nice.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. I guess trump can just say he told Bolton to

release the aid $$. Not sure if he (trump) is already on record as releasing the aid through some other way. All interesting as hell but might be hard to lay it all out in an understandable way.

[OnDoutside]

24. That could be the case, unless Bolton has email evidence where he was told not to !

[Laura PourMeADrink]

28. Actually went back and re-read . Trump said he released

Funds on Sept 11th. But, they had already been released (approved for release) before Sept 9th. So whoever ordered (Bolton or not) it definitely happened before trump said it did and trump lied.

Bolton was asking for release in August. And Congress was asking before too.

It basically sounds like a lot of people knew the $ was being withheld and it was a showdown over what entity had authority.

[OnDoutside]

30. Thanks, that definitely gives weight to it.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. This is why he effed off...

[Quixote1818]

5. This could be a big deal. It means Bolton knows a LOT!!! And he won't be a nice witness. nt

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. Wow, this is huge. May not be more liability for dingbat

But sure is juicy interesting. Thank kp

[Pepsidog]

11. Hell has frozen over, I like something Bolton might have done

[James48]

12. Who on earth would have thought

that Bolton, of all people, would be the honorable one?

[Taraman]

13. He's still using the delaying tactic

by joining the suit against the lawful subpoenas of the House oversight. He's saying, I'd love to talk, but you know... I wouldn't want to get in trouble. Sheesh. Some patriot.

[scarletwoman]

14. Bolton is a neocon and a bloodthirsty hawk, but he's not rwnj conspiracy theorist

like Trump and Trump's inner circle.

[OnDoutside]

20. That said, didn't he go on an NRA speaking trip to Russia ?

[get the red out]

26. Total asshole

who knows how to work his way around the stupid asshole in the White House.

[Baked Potato]

27. Bolton is a NeoCon Toady

But I’ll take it.

[greatauntoftriplets]

29. I HATE when Bolton does the right thing.