FBI Action on John Bolton’s Homes and Offices
In a significant development, the FBI has conducted searches at the home and office of John Bolton, who served as President Trump’s national security adviser. This event comes over five years after the Trump administration began looking into potential leaks of classified information in Bolton’s 2020 memoir.
John Bolton, now 76, held the position of national security adviser from April 2018 until his dismissal in September 2019. Following his ousting, he started drafting his account of his experiences in the Trump White House.
The memoir, titled “The Room Where It Happened,” hit shelves in June 2020, after undergoing a lengthy review process by the National Security Council that delayed its release.
During April and May 2020, Bolton’s manuscript was reviewed by NSC staff, including Ellen Knight, an employee from the National Archives specializing in classification issues.
Bolton contended that he received verbal permission from Knight to publish his book, even while a “supplementary” review was in progress.
However, on June 17, 2020, the Department of Justice sought a court order to prevent the publication of “The Room Where It Happened.”
The White House also filed a civil lawsuit against Bolton, claiming that he had breached a non-disclosure agreement linked to his former position.
Simon & Schuster, Bolton’s former publisher, criticized the administration for what it termed a “politically motivated, useless movement.”
A federal judge ruled in favor of Bolton, and while the book was ultimately published on June 23, 2020, it led to federal criminal investigations into whether he disclosed sensitive national security information, according to reports from The New York Times in September.
After President Joe Biden assumed office in 2021, the investigation into Bolton was reportedly closed in June for “political reasons,” as disclosed by a senior U.S. official.
The Justice Department’s attempts to reclaim the book’s profits were also halted after Knight’s attorneys sent a letter to a federal judge, asserting that she was pressured by the Trump administration to misrepresent information regarding the manuscript.
After Knight refused to comply, she alleged that she was denied a permanent position in the NSC.
In relation to the recent FBI actions, authorities stated that the investigation was broader than just Bolton’s memoirs, signaling an inquiry into potential classified information leaks that now involve the Biden administration.
Trump has consistently criticized Bolton, calling him a “nutjob,” but Bolton has continued to make appearances on CNN, often challenging the 47th President’s foreign policy choices.
On the morning of the FBI’s action, Bolton shared a post on his X-account, critiquing Trump’s attempts to resolve the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, expressing skepticism about any productive outcomes.
In a previous statement, Trump remarked on Bolton’s character, suggesting he was suffering from what he termed “Trump Disorder Syndrome.” He also revoked Bolton’s security clearance and Secret Service details, coinciding with rising tensions following the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Bolton has been labeled one of many former officials included in the “Members of the Administrative Deep State” category in a 2023 book by Kash Patel titled “Government Gangster.”
Since taking office, Patel has vowed to eliminate corruption within the administration, including issues relating to the FBI’s investigation into alleged collusion between the Kremlin and Trump during the 2016 elections.
