A key Senate Republican said she’ll “likely” vote to call witnesses later in President Trump’s impeachment trial.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said in a statement Tuesday, “It is likely that I would support a motion to subpoena witnesses” after hearing arguments from the impeachment managers, as well as President Trump’s defense lawyers.
Collins told the Washington Examiner she is working with a small group of Republicans on a plan to call witnesses, but it’s unclear whether four GOP lawmakers would back the move. That’s the number needed to provide Democrats with the 51 votes necessary to summon a witness.
Democrats said they want to hear testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton, who was critical of efforts by Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to get Ukrainian government officials to pledge to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
Bolton also has information about the decision to block $391 million in security aid intended for Ukraine.
Collins, along with GOP Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have expressed interest in hearing from Bolton.
Collins and the rest of the GOP back a resolution postponing consideration until later in the trial, which follows a precedent set during the 1999 impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.
“As I said last week, while I need to hear the case argued and the questions answered, I anticipate that I would conclude that having additional information would be helpful,” Collins said Tuesday. “It is likely that I would support a motion to subpoena witnesses at that point in the trial, just as I did in 1999.”
