Ty Cobb on FBI Search of John Bolton’s Home and Office

Ty Cobb, a former White House lawyer during Trump’s first term, expressed skepticism about the FBI’s recent search of John Bolton’s home and office, suggesting it is unlikely to lead to any charges. He noted that this incident might deter criticism of Trump from others.

Cobb humorously remarked, “I got off and closed the door,” in response to questions during an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep. He mentioned that anyone being critical of Trump might be engaging in what he called a “legitimate delusion” at this point, but he advised caution for Bolton in how he reacts.

Regarding potential charges, Cobb was noncommittal. “I don’t know if he’ll be charged. I’m not like others who are certain he will be,” he added.

Reports indicate that the search relates to how Bolton handled classified documents, with Cobb suggesting that Bolton’s memoirs from 2020 called for the Trump administration to look into any possible leaks of classified information.

“It’s certainly possible to find documents that they consider classified,” Cobb said, explaining the complexity around the authenticity of such classifications.

On the topic of Bolton’s involvement, Trump denied any knowledge of the investigations. “Bolton, he’s not a clever man, but he might be a very unpatriotic man,” he told reporters, adding he was unaware of the search until he saw it reported.

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019 and has written a memoir titled “The Room Where It Happened,” which was released in June 2020 after extensive editing by the National Security Council.

Cobb acknowledged the retaliatory aspects in play and criticized the Justice Department for abandoning traditional norms in such situations. “There’s anxiety. Your name is called. There’s a lot of bad news, but it’s rare for anyone to be charged under such circumstances,” he pointed out.

After Bolton returned to the White House in January, Trump revoked his security clearance. Cobb explained that Bolton had submitted his manuscript for review but faced difficulties getting it published, ultimately having to sue to enforce the process, which led to a federal court approving the book’s release.

This kind of situation, as Cobb noted, had been challenged in court five years prior.