Ellen Knight, who was the highest nationwide safety official working with Bolton to evaluate his e book for delicate data earlier than publication, is publicly suggesting her selections about what must be labeled had been overridden by White Home officers, particularly authorized advisers near the President. She mentioned the White Home and Justice Division could also be taking steps to smear her and her workforce, politicize and harm the e book’s pre-review course of, and stop details about Bolton’s evaluate from coming to gentle that does not assist the administration’s pursuit of him.
She additionally particulars how she was pressured out of the Nationwide Safety Council this summer season.
Charles J. Cooper, a lawyer for Bolton, mentioned they’re “nonetheless assessing (the letter’s) implications for the Justice Division’s lawsuit. We didn’t solicit the letter in any means; it got here as an entire shock.”
CNN has reached out to the White Home and Nationwide Safety Council for remark.
The revelations additionally solid new doubt over the Trump administration’s insistence they’ve wielded nationwide safety powers appropriately, as Knight turns into the most recent in a rising solid of Trump administration officers who’ve slammed the President and his high advisers for overly political decision-making.
Over 5 days in mid-June, Justice Division and White Home officers tried to influence Knight, a longtime profession authorities official, to signal a sworn assertion that might assist an administration lawsuit towards Bolton for publishing the e book with out correct White Home sign-off, she says.
She refused to signal it, and 6 days later was instructed her work with the NSC would finish in August.
Knight additionally described day-by-day her interactions with White Home officers whom she believed improperly deviated from her employees’s suggestions.
“Ambassador Bolton had seemingly carried out himself in good religion general and that she had by no means seen any indication throughout their work collectively that he was attempting to bypass the method. He had been gruff and demanding and expressed frustration at instances through the course of, however Ms. Knight at all times felt his intention was to cooperate with and full the evaluate,” based on Knight’s letter.
This story is breaking and might be up to date.
