Former NSA John Bolton skipped his scheduled testimony as part of the impeachment inquiry Thursday, depriving Democrats of testimony likely damning to President Donald Trump.
According to Vice News, the hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. E.T. It has been unclear in recent weeks whether Bolton would attend.
He has become an increasingly compelling character in the impeachment inquiry, as other witnesses’ testimonies revealed him to be very uncomfortable with the backchannel Ukraine dealings orchestrated by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
He allegedly referred to the pressure campaign as a “drug deal” and once angrily ended a meeting when U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland brought up the quid pro quo with Ukrainian officials.
If Democrats dropping their subpoena Wednesday to compel Bolton deputy Charles Kupperman to testify is any clue, it seems that their strategy is to shake off officials’ refusal to show up and instead focus their energies on the public hearings starring those who want to speak out.
