FBI Finds Classified Documents at John Bolton’s Office

Federal authorities recently unearthed documents marked as classified in the Washington, D.C. office of former national security adviser John Bolton during an FBI search last month, as revealed in new court documents.

The search, conducted on August 22, uncovered folders labeled “secret” and pages marked as “secret” within Bolton’s records. On the same day, agents searched his Maryland home, but no classified materials were mentioned from that location.

Bolton, who held the national security adviser position during President Donald Trump’s first term, faced scrutiny over certain classified information that allegedly appeared in his 2020 memoir. However, the investigation into those allegations was dropped by the Biden administration’s DOJ in 2021.

While the DOJ didn’t comment when approached, the FBI also chose to remain silent, and Bolton has not yet responded to inquiries.

Documents retrieved from Bolton’s office included potentially sensitive materials linked to weapons of mass destruction, as well as confidential communications from U.S. missions and strategic discussions pertaining to the United Nations.

Additionally, the court records indicated that a foreign entity had compromised the AOL email account of a former national security adviser, though details about the perpetrator and extent of access remain unclear.

The warrant suggests that investigators are looking into possible violations related to espionage, including unauthorized removal and retention of classified materials and conspiracy charges regarding defense information collection or transmission. Interestingly, these same legal foundations were used in earlier accusations against Trump concerning the Mar-a-Lago documents, but those allegations were eventually dismissed by federal judges.

Bolton has been a vocal critic of Trump ever since stepping down from his White House role in 2019.