The White House has issued a formal threat to former national security adviser John Bolton to keep him from publishing his book, as it includes confidential information, according to a letter sent to Bolton's attorney.
After reviewing the draft book, the US National Security Council said that the book contains significant amounts of classified information and that some of the information is classified as “TOP SECRET.”
He added that this information “is expected to cause exceptionally grave harm to the national security” of the US if disclosed without authorization.
On his part, Bolton's lawyer, Chuck Cooper, refuted the White House's claims, saying, "We do not believe that any of this information could reasonably be considered confidential."
In his letter, Cooper asked the National Security Council to end his review of the book quickly, in light of the possibility that Bolton could be summoned to testify as part of the Trump trial.
“If (Bolton) is called in to testify, he appears certain that he will be asked questions that will address most of the information related to the Ukrainian issue," the lawyer added.
It is worth mentioning that, Bolton's book reveals a conversation that could harm US President Donald Trump, who is currently facing a trial for his removal in the Senate on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
According to Bolton, Trump told him in August 2019 that he does not want to release military aid to Ukraine as long as the Kiev authorities have not investigated the son of former US Vice President Democrat Joe Biden, who was seen as the favorite to compete in the November 3, 2020, presidential elections.
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