John Bolton claims Donald Trump told Turkey's President Erdogan he would intervene in a Southern District of NY investigation of a state-owned Turkish bank - as fired US attorney Berman leaves his office after being forced out
- Former National Security adviser made the claims in an interview airing Sunday
- He said the alleged move by Trump 'did feel like obstruction of justice to me'
- Bolton told ABC he had 'never heard any president say anything like that'
- Bolton alleges Trump sought to cut a deal to stop federal prosecutors in New York from investigating whether Halkbank violated U.S. sanctions against Iran
- His comments were recorded before Geoffrey Berman, head of the Southern District of New York attorney's office, was fired Saturday
- Exclusive DailyMail.com pictures show Berman, known for probing allies of Trump, leaving his office for the final time Saturday; he had been in the role 2018
Bolton has claimed Donald Trump told Turkey's President Erdogan he would intervene in a Southern District of New York investigation of a state-owned Turkish bank.
In an interview with ABC set to air Sunday the former National Security adviser said the move 'did feel like obstruction of justice to me'. Bolton, promoting his tell all memoir, said he had 'never heard any president say anything like that. Ever.'
His comments were recorded before Geoffrey Berman, head of the Southern District of New York attorney's office, was fired Saturday. His removal sparking uproar and triggering an inquiry by Democratic lawmakers.
Exclusive DailyMail.com pictures show Berman, known for probing allies of Trump, leaving his office for the final time Saturday. He had been in the role 2018.
Bolton alleges that Trump sought to cut a deal to stop federal prosecutors in New York from investigating whether Halkbank violated U.S. sanctions against Iran in order to free an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey.
Six weeks after the pastor's release, Bolton writes that on a call with the Turkish president 'Trump then told Erdoğan he would take care of things'.
In an interview with ABC John Bolton claims Trump told Turkey's President Erdogan he would intervene in a Southern District of NY investigation of a state-owned Turkish bank
Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, after leaving his office for the last time on Saturday
Exclusive DailyMail.com pictures show Berman, known for probing allies of Trump, leaving his office for the final time Saturday. He had been in the role 2018
Asked about those claims Bolton told ABC: 'What Erdogan wanted was basically a settlement that would take the pressure off Halkbank. And the president said to Erdogan at one point, 'Look, those prosecutors in New York are Obama people. Wait till I get my people in and then we'll take care of this'.
'This idea that you give Erdogan and his family, who use Halkbank like a slush fund -- in exchange for, what, some hope down the road of some other kind of treatment for Trump or the country -- was very troubling.'
The Room Where It Happened portrays Trump as a president solely motivated by re-election efforts with a penchant for misconduct - including agreeing to back off criminal probes as 'personal favors' to certain dictators that make up a foreign policy characterized by 'chaos' and aimed at the president's personal benefit
The episode Bolton describes occurred in December 2018, months after Berman assumed the role of U.S. attorney.
Acknowledging the prosecution of Halbank has continued Bolton said: 'I don't think I know enough about all the circumstances, but I tell ya, it did feel like obstruction of justice to me.'
Bolton's tell all memoir, The Room Where It Happened, portrays Trump as a president solely motivated by re-election efforts with a penchant for misconduct.
Allegations included agreeing to back off criminal probes as 'personal favors' to certain dictators that make up a foreign policy characterized by 'chaos' and aimed at the president's personal benefit.
Set to be released on June 23, the book also contains a claim that Trump pleaded with Chinese President Xi Jinping to boost U.S. food purchases, describing it in terms of his own election. Trump regularly touts a deal to pause the China trade war as one of his chief accomplishments.
Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who in the book is portrayed by Bolton as being disloyal to and dismissive of the president, has also waded in calling Bolton a ‘traitor who damaged America by violating his sacred trust with its people.’
EXPLOSIVE CLAIMS MADE IN BOLTON'S BOOK:
- Trump agreed to 'back off' criminal probes as 'personal favors' to dictators
- Told Chinese President Xi Jinping he should go ahead with building camps the regime was constructing for Chinese Uighurs
- Put Jared Kushner in charge of several foreign policy matters
- Spent part of Osaka summit 'pleading with Xi to ensure he'd win' reelection by buying US crops'
- Believed Finland was part of Russia
- Said invading Venezuala was 'cool' and said the nation was 'really part of the United States'
- Made it a 'high priority' to get Mike Pompeo to hand a copy of Elton John's 'Rocket Man' to North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un
- Did not know Great Britain was a nuclear power
- Defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi to distract attention from Ivanka Trump using her personal email
- Postponed removing the US from the Iran deal so Melania Trump could announce her Be Best campaign
- Claimed he was going to be nominated for a Noble Peace Prize for his North Korea summit
- Said he always broke up with women he dated because he didn't like being dumped
- Referred to his former UN.Ambassador Nikki Haley as a 'c***' while Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump wanted her to replace Mike Pence
Berman discovered his job was in jeopardy via a press release late Friday from Attorney General Bill Barr saying the prosecutor was stepping down.
The top prosecutor responded that he had 'no intention' of quitting, and that his office's 'investigations will move forward without interruption.'
But Barr sent him a letter Saturday saying Trump had agreed to fire the official 'as of today.'
A DOJ spokesperson said of Bolton's claims: 'There was no discussion of 'personal favors' or 'undue influence' on investigations, nor did Attorney General Barr state that the President's conversations with foreign leaders were improper.
'If this is truly what Mr. Bolton has written, then it seems he is attributing to Attorney General Barr his own current views -- views with which Attorney General Barr does not agree.'
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