A search warrant for the Washington, D.C., office of former National Security Adviser John Bolton indicates that investigators recovered documents marked “secret” and “confidential.”
The FBI is probing whether Bolton improperly handled national defense information, according to officials familiar with the matter, multiple reports noted last month.
Per the Aug. 22 warrant, there were “travel memo documents with pages labeled secret,” as well as “confidential” documents regarding “U.S. Mission to the United Nations,” “U.S. Government Strategic Communications Plan,” and weapons of mass destruction.
“The discovery renews scrutiny of Bolton’s handling of sensitive national security information and echoes long-standing concerns first raised during a contentious legal battle over his 2020 memoir,” Newsweek reported.
The discovery of classified documents in John Bolton’s office raises key questions about whether senior national security officials are held to the same legal standards as others who handle sensitive material.
The case underscores broader concerns about safeguarding national defense information, the Justice Department’s consistency in handling high-profile document investigations, and the political implications of examining a former Trump official who later became one of the president’s most vocal critics, Newsweek added.
That same morning, federal agents also searched Bolton’s residence in Bethesda, Maryland.
While the filing noted no classified documents were found at the home, investigators seized computers and other electronic devices from both locations for forensic review.
The search warrant was authorized by U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya of the District of Columbia.
“The FBI is conducting court-authorized activity in the area. There is no threat to public safety. We have no further comment,” the FBI noted in a statement at the time.
Court filings show the FBI was pursuing evidence of possible violations of three statutes, including Section 793 of Title 18, the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to retain or share national defense information without authorization, and Section 1924, which bars the unauthorized removal or retention of classified materials.
In its affidavit, the bureau said there was probable cause to believe Bolton had violated federal law and that evidence of those offenses would be found in his office.
The new investigation echoes earlier controversies surrounding Bolton’s 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.”
