FBI agents searched the home and office of former Trump national security adviser John Bolton on Friday as part of an investigation into the handling of classified information. Bolton, who has been a vocal critic of Trump since leaving the administration in 2019, was previously accused by the White House of misusing classified information in his 2020 account of working with the president.
Sources told CBS News the search was related in part to classified documents, though Bolton has not been detained and no charges have been filed. When asked about the investigation, Trump said he did not want to get involved but called Bolton a “sleazebag” and said he did not order the searches. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that classified documents are “certainly part of the investigation” and suggested there is “broad concern” about Bolton, adding the FBI would act only if the law was broken.
Police and FBI personnel were seen at Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland, home and his Washington DC office, carrying boxes inside. The FBI described the actions as “authorized activity in the area.” Bolton returned to his home on Friday afternoon but did not comment to reporters. The investigation is ongoing, with no political motivation confirmed.
In 2020, John Bolton published The Room Where It Happened, sharply criticizing Trump and claiming he was unfit for office. The Justice Department had accused Bolton of breaching agreements on classified information, though the case was dropped in 2021 under President Biden. Around the time of the FBI searches, Director Kash Patel and AG Pam Bondi emphasized that no one is above the law. Bolton, former UN ambassador under George W. Bush, lost Secret Service protection under Trump and has publicly questioned the administration’s Ukraine-Russia policies. Trump has repeatedly criticized Bolton for advocating military interventions during his tenure.
-Peace News Desk