John Bolton is sending out a lot of signals that he has a story to tell about his time in the White House. Today comes what seems like a dire warning about the Trump administration.

Let's get back to discussing critical national-security issues confronting America. The threats are grave and growing. The presidency and control of the House and the Senate will all be decided in less than one year. It's time to speak up again! #JohnBolton

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) November 23, 2019

The former national security adviser says it’s time to “speak up again.” Well, the nation waiting. Bolton’s attorney recently said his client “has knowledge of ‘many relevant meetings and conversations’ connected to the Ukraine pressure campaign that House impeachment investigators do not yet know about.” Yet Bolton refuses to testify in the impeachment inquiry saying the White House has ordered him not to talk. Friday he re-emerged saying the White House also prevented him from talking on Twitter as well.

Re: speaking up — since resigning as National Security Advisor, the @WhiteHouse refused to return access to my personal Twitter account. Out of fear of what I may say? To those who speculated I went into hiding, I’m sorry to disappoint!

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) November 22, 2019

Bolton says it was Twitter who helped him regain access to his account, not the Trump administration.

Question: "Why did the White House block the access to you Twitter account?"

John Bolton: "They attached software to it and Twitter unattached the software to it."

Question: "And why did the White House block you?"

Bolton: "You'll have to ask the White House that." pic.twitter.com/hzTuvFkDRl

— The Hill (@thehill) November 23, 2019

So he regained the ability to speak on Twitter, how about regaining the ability to talk before Congress? In Time magazine, Daniel Alter, a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, argues Congress can and should arrest Bolton if he keeps refusing to testify. So far they haven’t subpoenaed him because they reportedly don’t want a long court battle. But Alter says:

“Considering its power to arrest Mr. Bolton, however, perhaps the House should reevaluate that decision – thereby giving Mr. Bolton the incentive to reevaluate his.“

“It is highly unlikely that the dispute will stall in the courts. Should he be arrested, Bolton would surely have his lawyers file an emergency petition for a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that he’s being held illegally. This request for immediate release would put his legal arguments against testifying on the fast track for judicial determination. When someone’s liberty is at stake, courts generally do not postpone hearings for weeks, as they might in a civil subpoena enforcement action. 

Bolton recently signed a book deal that is said to be worth $2 million. So he may be waiting to spill the beans in his book. But his Twitter messages suggest he is itching to get things off his chest, perhaps sooner. It’s time now to see if the House Intelligence Community takes the bait.

This post contains analysis and opinion