Nation/World

John Bolton has $2 million book deal, which could explain his impeachment silence

Maybe he’s saving the best dirt on President Trump for his tell-all book.

John Bolton, the fired national security adviser who just blew off the impeachment inquiry, has signed a deal for a juicy White House memoir.

The deal with Simon & Schuster will pay Bolton a hefty $2 million, two publishing officials familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Saturday

The bushy-mustached national security hawk has already raised eyebrows with his odd approach to the impeachment probe.

He rejected an invitation to testify last week before the Democratic-led inquiry, insisting along with another White House official that he needs a judge whether a congressional subpoena trumps the president's orders to keep quiet.

Other White House officials have testified in defiance of Trump and most legal analysts say there Bolton would face no legal jeopardy by speaking to Congress.

Democrats declined to issue a subpoena for Bolton, signalling that they believe they have enough evidence to proceed without him.

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But Bolton's lawyer, Charles Cooper, boasted that Bolton has knowledge of Trump meetings and actions that impeachment investigators know nothing about. That tantalizing claim raises his value as a potential witness -- and also hypes his insider book.

Bolton is a key figure in the Ukraine scandal and other witnesses have said he was deeply angered by Trump's effort to use millions in American defense aid as leverage to bully Ukraine into announcing bogus probes of Democrats.

He left the White House on very acrimonious terms after a falling out with Trump over the president's plans to host the Taliban at Camp David for Afghan peace talks right before the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Trump said he fired Bolton and branded him a warmonger. Bolton claimed he quit -- and promised to eventually tell his side of the story.

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